Fairy Tail - The Naruto Way
by ZankanoTachi14
Summary: What happens if we put Fairy Tail characters in the Naruto storyline? This follows the same story as Naruto (more or less) but with the FT characters; different fights, powers and personalities. Natsu goes through the same challenges as Naruto but can HE save his best friend (and crush) from falling into the pits of darkness? Mostly main characters but few OCs.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, guys, this is my first fanfiction ever! I've been seeing loads of similarities between Naruto and Fairy Tail, so I decided to write a story about if Fairy Tail was done Naruto-style. Here is the first chapter to this story and I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to leave a review on what you liked and/or what I could improve. Neither Naruto nor Fairy Tail are mine; they'll always be Kishi and Hiro's pieces.

**Chapter One: **_Enter! Natsu Dragneel!_

_Ten years ago, a red fire dragon suddenly appeared. Its wings and talons lashed out, crumbling mountains and sending massive shock waves down the shores. The wizard committee, of Magnolia where the attack happened, better known as the Guild Fairy Tail did their utmost best to defend their city. Mages yelled and threw their strongest magic spells at the dragon. "Don't let it get to the gates," one wizard shouted. "We have to hold the thing off until Master gets here."_

_"That's right," his comrade shouted in agreement. "Let's get him." They dashed towards the dragon but in the blink of an eye, the creature killed them with a smack of its hand. The other mages cowered back in fear before releasing roars and charged at the dragon. Igneel, the Fire Dragon King, laughed at the silly humans and prepared to end them in an instant when he felt a strong magical aura to his left. The crowds of wizard skidded to a halt and smiles adorned their faces._

_"GILDARTS!" They yelled happily. Igneel turned to his left and there, on the top of a high house, stood Gildarts Clive. His normally goofy face was completely serious and a furious white aura blazed around him. The Fairy Tail wizards didn't even have to be told to leave since they already knew what they had to do: leave the dragon to the Master. Gildarts and Igneel then engaged in a fearsome battle, shaking the very ground for hours on end and destroying the whole forest in the process._

_After a total of three hours, Gildarts' back hit the ground and he slumped over in exhaustion, having lost his left arm in the battle. Igneel, impressed deeply by the man's power, decided not to kill him and flew away and brought an unconscious human child to him. "Who is this?" Gildarts asked, confused by the Fire Dragon King's actions. The boy seemed to be about three years old and only wore shorts. A scarf adorned his neck. Instead of immediately answering, Igneel's wings rose and began to flap, ascending into the sky. Just as Igneel left, two words etched themselves forever into Gildarts' mind: **Natsu **and_ **Igneel**. _A scroll fell from the dragon's mouth and landed into Gildarts' lap._

* * *

"NATSU!" One of the two frustrated wizards shouted. "COME BACK HERE, NOW!" The two of them were chasing a pink-haired, thin brat through the streets of Magnolia. Natsu, as the boy was called, was laughing his head off and in his hand, was a bucket of paint. One of his most recent pranks was to draw on the previous Guild Masters' rock faces, which were beautifully carved into the large mountainside overlooking the city. Natsu quickly took the chase to the rooftops with the mages still chasing him.

"Give it up," Natsu laughed. "You guys don't have a chance." He turned a corner and disappeared, causing the two mages to follow him but couldn't find him. Unbeknownst to them, Natsu had simply camouflaged himself in the same colour as the yellow-and-orange wall. He laughed to himself and was about to give himself a mental high-five when a loud voice scared the life out of him.

"HELLO THERE," Macao shouted, causing Natsu to spring several feet into the air. "What're you doing here, Natsu? You're supposed to be in class. Hang on a second, MY CLASS!" He immediately took out a stash of rope and tied Natsu up, taking him to the Mage Academy.

* * *

"I've just about had it with you, Natsu!" Macao yelled. "You've already failed the Graduation Test three times in a row. And it seems like you're going to repeat again tomorrow." Natsu simply sneered and looked away, pretending to not care about Macao's ramblings. The Fire mage smirked as an evil idea came to him. "Got it!" he shouted, pointing to the class. "Since you missed it, Natsu, everybody is going to do the Transformation AGAIN."

Everybody grumbled and glared at Natsu as they got into a line, with Lucy Heartfilia at the head. "Alright, here goes," Lucy closed her eyes and initiated her magic. Her image flickered and changed into Macao's, even transforming into his clothes. "Excellent job, Lucy," Macao noted down. "Next, Erza Scarlet!" All eyes turned to the red-haired armoured girl, who had a serious expression on her face. _Such a showoff, _Natsu mentally scoffed.

Erza came forward and transformed into Macao in the blink of an eye, causing many of her classmates to call out in admiration. She simply smiled and walked away, showing her arrogance. "Amazing," Macao noted down, before adding a small, "as usual." He didn't call out Natsu's name and simply motioned for him to perform the Transformation Magic.

_I'm gonna show them, _Natsu thought before a prank came to his mind. His image flickered and changed into a sexy brunette with only a bikini on. Macao's face fell before he threw back his head, trying to contain the blood from leaking out of his nostrils. "I got you," Natsu laughed. "That was my Dragneel-style Transformation Magic." But this only caused Macao to yell at him and rant about his stupid pranks.

After the Academy finished, Macao took Natsu to the Guild Masters' Faces and made him wipe all the paint there. "I don't want to see a single bit of graffiti," Macao said. "You're not going home until you finish cleaning, got it, Natsu?"

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu yelled back. "Besides, it's not like there's anybody waiting for me at home." He cursed Macao silently and went back to scrubbing the colours of Makarov's face.

"Natsu," Macao called after a pause, getting the pink-haired brat's attention. "I was wondering; maybe after you clean all this up, I might take you to _Mr. Daichi's_ for some inarizushi and ramen. What d'you say?" He looked down to see that Natsu's face had lit up immediately and he immediately got to work cleaning the Faces, causing Macao to chuckle to himself.

* * *

"This is the best!" Natsu said as he wolfed down the rice balls. "Thanks, Macao-sensei." He finished the rice balls and began to eat his inarizushi, munching them down. Macao watched him eat and sighed to himself; he would never fully understand the pink-haired boy. So, instead, he brought up the question he had in mind for a while.

"You're welcome," Macao said. "But, Natsu, I don't get why you do that to the Masters' Faces. I mean, you _do _know who they are, right?" He chowed on the noodles of his ramen before facing Natsu to hear his answer.

"Of course I do," Natsu replied, eating another one of his inarizushi. "They're the most renowned type of wizards in Fiore, right? The best of the best, undefeated mages that govern the guilds right? Not to mention Gildarts; he was the Hero of Magnolia, the Ace of Fairy Tail, and managed to cause the Fire Dragon King to retreat."

"Thank god," Macao gave out a sigh of relief. "So you know who they are. Then, why did you spray graffiti on their Faces?"

"Because I'm going to be greater than all of them," Natsu answered, finishing his food. "Natsu Dragneel will be the name of the next Master of Fairy Tail! Then, everyone will look up to me, stop disrespecting me, and start treating me like I'm somebody important. By the way, Macao-sensei, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Macao asked. "Do you also want some ramen, now?"

"No, not that," Natsu said. "Can you give me a Fairy Tail stamp just like yours? I'll wash it away tonight, I promise."

"No way," Macao laughed, tears coming out of his eyes. "Listen, kiddo, there's two reasons I can't do that. One, this is proof that you've graduated the Academy and are a member of Fairy Tail. You need to pass the Graduation Test tomorrow. And the reason is that these can't be washed away since they're made with magical ink."

"That is SO uncool!" Natsu grumbled, turning away. "I would have that stamp on my right shoulder and in red. Anyway, I want a bowl of ramen." Macao kept chuckling as he paid for another bowl, causing Natsu to comically glare at him.

* * *

The next day, after everyone had sat down, Macao spoke about the Graduation Test. "Alright, guys," he said. "Listen up. The first part of the test will be on your fighting skills, knowledge on topics such as the mechanics of magic, history etc. The second part will test your magic and be on Transformation Magic along with...Fire Magic. As all of you know, Fairy Tail is short on fire wizards and I'm sure all of you know the few Fire Magic spells I have shown you." He opened the classroom door and led the students out.

_Damn it, _Natsu cursed inwardly. He could probably pass all the tests with average scores, with the exception of Fire Magic. In the past, every time Natsu tried to do the spells Macao had shown the class, he would end up burning a classroom or vaporizing the river. He just couldn't control the magic and his concentration would wane every time. _I just have to do better in the others then, _Natsu thought, determined. _I can't fail the Graduation Test AGAIN._

Unfortunately, it didn't go that way and Natsu ended up getting only average scores in fighting, knowledge, and now it was time for the dreaded Magic test. He entered the examination room and came face-to-face with Macao and the other proctor, Bora. "You may begin, Natsu Dragneel," Macao declared. _Okay, here goes, _Natsu thought. He performed the Transformation Magic part correctly, transforming himself into Gildarts Clive.

"Now, for the Fire Magic," Bora smiled, beckoning to a sack of bags in the middle of the room. Natsu closed his eyes and concentrated his Magic power, remembering the way Macao had shown the spell in class. He raised his hand and released a stream of flames, "**Fire Bullet.**" But then, a second later, the flames lost their shape and fell to the floor, burning it and creating a gaping hole there. Natsu looked up at Macao, who simply sighed, shook his head and yelled, "YOU FAIL!"

"Macao-san," Bora spoke. "I think we should let Natsu pass. I mean, he _did _produce fire using magic and this is his fourth try, so he's very determined."

"We can't do that, Bora-san," Macao said. "I thought you would know, being a member of Fairy Tail. The others all managed to destroy the bags while Natsu here only managed to create a hole in the floor, which we'll have to pay for now. I can't pass him."

* * *

Natsu sat on the bench outside, watching sadly as the students were all happily congratulated by their parents. "Good job, son," a father said loudly, hugging his boy. Natsu simply tied his scarf around his neck again and prepared to leave. Meanwhile, two of the students were looking at him and talking amongst themselves. "So, he didn't pass, huh?" one of the boys said.

"Nope, for the fourth time in a row," the other replied. "It's a good thing too. If he became a wizard, there's no telling what he could do."

"True dat," his friend said. "Considering **what **brought him here-"_  
_

"Dude, be quiet," the other said, taking him away. "We're not supposed to talk about that."

Natsu gritted his teeth and got off the bench, thinking of a prank he could pull off. However, at that moment, he heard of someone's footsteps and turned to see Bora there with his friendly smile. "Hey, Natsu," Bora greeted. "Let's take a walk, shall we?"

Meanwhile, back at the Academy, Makarov and Macao stared at the spot where Natsu had been sitting. "Macao," the old Master said. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

* * *

"Macao-san's tough," Bora said, as he and Natsu looked into the beautiful sunset. "But it's not like he's against you. On the contrary, he wants you to become strong and for that, he can't go easy on you."

"But why only me?" Natsu asked, grumbling. "He passed everyone else. Does that mean he's going easy on everybody else. I really wanted to pass this time!"

"Both of you are a lot alike," Bora explained. "No parents, no siblings, nobody out there to look after you. I guess, Macao-san sees himself in you and that's why he wants you to become stronger than he is."

"But I can't wait until next year," Natsu said. "That's way too long and I have people I need to beat!" He was thinking of Erza in particular when he said that.

"Well then," Bora smiled. "I guess I have no choice then. This is a secret but I'm going to tell you the other way of passing the Graduation Test." Natsu raised an eyebrow, cocking an ear to listen to Bora.

* * *

Macao was lying in bed, thinking about his conversation with Makarov, when someone banged loudly on his door. "MACAO-SAN," Bora's voice came. "THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" Macao immediately sprang up and opened his door, quickly asking Bora what happened.

"It's about Natsu," Bora spoke hurriedly. "You need to come to the Guild Headquarters immediately. Natsu's messed with the Cabinet and apparently stole something invaluable."

"WHAT?!" Macao roared. "You mean the Cabinet of Secrets? NO!" He put on his coat and shoes before going with Bora to the Guild Headquarters, which had a large mass of mages and wizards. They had all received the news and were either cursing, or praying, or mumbling, or other things. Then, there were few which were furious and were exchanging words with Makarov over the situation.

"Master," one of the wizards growled. "This isn't a prank, this is a crime."

"That drawer has scrolls filled with magics so secret that your father, Yury Dreyar, himself sealed them up. If Dragneel even has one of these scrolls and it gets into the wrong hands, it could change our entire way of living," rambled another.

"I am well aware of the dangerous spells in the scrolls," Makarov said. "It seems that Natsu has only taken one of the scrolls in the Cabinet. Bring that boy here at once!" He turned away and the ranks of mages immediately dispersed, travelling at high speeds to different locations in search for the pink-haired brat.

After an hour of lookin, Macao panted in exhaustion and frustration as he couldn't find Natsu anywhere. Bora ran through the streets, an evil smirk crossing his features. _These Fairy Tail fools didn't even bother to check my background, _Bora laughed. _If they had, they would have known that I specialize in drugs, slavery, thievery, and abuse. Now, after this fiasco with Natsu, I'll even have a forbidden scroll to my name._

* * *

Releasing a tired sigh, Natsu fell on the soft grass in exhaustion from his training. _Man, that was a real workout, _he thought when he felt a shadow loom over him. "It's all over now, kiddo," Macao said as he came before Natsu. "I'm here to take you back to Guild Headquarters, where you're gonna give up that scroll you took."

"Not bad, Macao-sensei," Natsu laughed sheepishly. "I only had time to learn a couple of spells before you caught me. So now, I'm going to show you what I learned and you're going to pass me, right?"

"What're you on about, Natsu?" Macao rubbed his head. "You lost me there."

"Isn't that the way it works?" Natsu asked eagerly. "Anybody who learns a few spells from a scroll straight from the Cabinet of Secrets passes the Graduation Test, right?"

"Wh...Who told you this stuff?" Macao asked, a suspicion forming in his mind.

"Bora-san told me about it," Natsu explained. "He told me about the Cabinet of Secrets, how to get into Guild Headquarters, this place and how I should practice..."

_Bora?! _Macao thought alarmed before the said person's laugh emanated from the forest. "**Red Shower,**" Bora shouted and his Magic seal appeared in the air. From it, a series of purple flames rained down upon Macao, who pushed Natsu away and erected a purple barrier of fire around himself. However, his defences were a bit too slow and Macao was knocked down by the first of Bora's flames, visibly singed.

"Looks like you've found out my little hideaway," Bora laughed. "Natsu, give me the scroll! I need to secure it somewhere." Natsu, who was quite confused, looked uncertainly between Macao and Bora.

"Don't do it, Natsu," Macao warned. "Bora tricked you into stealing the scroll and wants its power. No doubt, that scroll contains forbidden magic and Bora wants that. He's even framed you and now, the other Fairy Tail mages are looking all over for you." Natsu's eyes widened before he glared at Bora, ready to charge the guy.

"He's lying, Natsu," Bora smiled. "Macao doesn't want you to have the scroll so he's trying to blame me."

"No, he's the one who's lying," Macao yelled. "Don't let his honeyed words trick you, Natsu!"

"Are you seriously accusing me of lying, Macao?" Bora asked innocently. "After you've been lying to Natsu your whole life? Want to hear another secret, Natsu?"

"NO, BORA, DON'T," Macao roared. "NATSU, DON'T LISTEN TO HIM."

"This is just proving my point," Bora said. "Do you see this, Natsu? He's trying to keep the truth from you, even now."

"What truth?" Natsu asked, confused beyond words. "What secret? What are you two TALKING about?"

"The decree that was made a decade ago," Bora answered. "The truth about where you came from. The Flame Dragon that attacked us ten years ago is your parent; it left you at our doorstep, you could say. And just like that dragon, you're also going to burn down our city one day! You'll never be accepted in Magnolia and Fairy Tail; you'll die an outcast!"

Natsu's eyes widened as he took in Bora's words. "Now, die," Bora yelled as his Magic seal re-appeared. "**Red Skull**." He raised his hands and a purplish-red ball of fire gathered in his hands. Bora launched it at Natsu, who couldn't move fast enough to dodge it. He closed his eyes and looked away, waiting for the pain to arrive. But Macao got up and shielded Natsu, taking the brunt of the attack, causing scorch marks to appear on his back.

"Why, Macao-sensei?" Natsu asked, watching in shock as tears fell from Macao's face. "Why would you do something like this?"

"Because we're the same," Macao answered. "When I lost my parents, I was the same age as you are now and I had also failed the Academy a few times. I had no friends and nobody seemed to care that I was alone in this world. I just wanted to get people's attention and so...I began to pull pranks and do stupid things. I know how you feel, Natsu; you're alone and it hurts inside, doesn't it?" Natsu's eyes began to tear up as he listened to Macao, having never heard of his sensei's origins.

"Don't make me laugh!" Bora shouted. "Macao's parents were killed by that accursed dragon. And that dragon's only heir is you. Macao hates you and he'd say anything to get the scroll off you." Natsu quickly wiped his eyes before fleeing the scene, running away at full speed and trying to put some distance between him and the arguing mages.

"You know he has that demonic look in his eyes," Bora said. "Once he sets his mind to something, he usually goes through with it. Natsu's going to use that scroll to destroy Fairy Tail and Magnolia." He began to laugh after saying that, ready to head after Natsu.

"Natsu's not like that," Macao growled as he rose slowly. "**Purple Beam**." He brought his hands together and shot a beam of purple fire at Bora, but it wasn't at its strongest and Bora easily dodged it.

"You're pathetic," Bora shook his head. "After taking care of Natsu, I'll finish you off." Having said that, he disappeared in a flash and ran after Naruto. A second later, Macao carried himself off the ground and quickly followed Bora.

* * *

In the forest, Macao had eventually caught up with Natsu. "Hey, Natsu," Macao yelled to the pink-haired boy. "I've managed to lose Bora for a while. Quick! Give me the scroll." Glaring at him, Natsu launched himself from a tree and head-butted Macao straight in the gut, sending him flying back. After several seconds of sprawling on the ground, Macao slowly got up and looked at Natsu.

"How, Natsu?" Macao asked. "How did you know that I wasn't Macao?" His image flickered into that of Bora's, showing how the latter had used Transformation Magic to try to fool Natsu, who was actually...

"Because I'm Macao," Natsu smirked. His visage also disappeared, revealing the blue-haired Macao in his place. Bora's worried look disappeared and he simply chuckled as he got to his feet.

"I don't understand you, Macao," Bora said. "Why're you defending that freak? He's the son of the dragon that almost destroyed Magnolia!" Unbeknownst to them, Natsu was hiding behind a tree and listening to the pair arguing. "You know," the man continued. "He's a lot like me; he'll do anything to get his revenge on the people that shunned and neglected him. He wants to destroy them. That's how dragons are."

"You're right," Macao said, causing Natsu's eyes to widen. _So he too believes..._ the boy thought. "That is how dragons are. But Natsu's not like that; he's a hard-working boy, who tries his best and never gives up. Naturally, he messes up a lot of the times and people use that to insult him. But he still never gives me; he's Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail!"

"Are you serious?" Bora asked, his eyebrows twitching. "Do you seriously believe that crap? I've changed my mind, Macao; I was going to finish you off for last but now, it looks like you'll be the first to kick the bucket. **Hell Prominence**." He put his hands together in front of his body and his Magic seal e-appeared before a beam of purplish red fire shot towards Macao at high speeds. _So I guess, the road ends here for me, _Macao thought. _Romeo..._

Suddenly, Natsu appeared before Macao, shocking both him and Bora. _Alright, here goes, _he thought. Natsu waited until the fire-based attack was close to him before opening his mouth and eating the beam, sucking it into his mouth. Bora and Macao's jaws dropped in shock as they watched Natsu consume the spell, wiping his mouth after he was done. "Thank you for the meal," Natsu smirked. "I hope you get ready to meet your end. Nobody lays a hand on my sensei!"

"Y-You're a total monster," Bora yelled. "But I can easily crush runts like you with a single attack." He raised his fist and was about to launch another spell when Natsu stepped up to him. He slammed both his fists together, causing a red Magic seal to appear and Natsu's cheeks swelled up. "**Fire Dragon's Roar,**" Natsu released a massive torrent of flames, which covered a large area and burned everything in its wake.

A badly burnt Bora appeared out of the smoke, coughing deeply. "When I get my hands on you, kid," he swore. "I'm going to ma-" Natsu whistled, causing the man to look up. "Are you looking for me?" Natsu laughed. Again, he slammed his fists together and his Magic seal appeared, causing Natsu's right hand to be covered in flames. "Take this, you bastard," he yelled. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist.**" Natsu punched Bora in the face, instantly knocking him out cold and disfiguring his face.

_Dragon Slayer Magic, _Macao realized as he saw the nature of Natsu's attacks. _A Lost Magic tha__t transforms humans' body parts into that of a dragons, in order to slay them. He's learned an incredible high-level magic. _By this time, it was already morning and Macao decided to change his mind about Natsu's graduation. "Hey, Natsu," he said, catching the Dragon Slayer's attention. "Come here. I have something I want to give you."

"What is it?" Natsu asked. "What do you want to give me, Macao-sensei?"

"Close your eyes and don't open them until I say so," Macao ordered. Natsu nodded and closed his eyes while Macao reached into his pocket, taking out a small box. He opened it and stuck the Fairy Tail emblem on it to Natsu's shoulder, making the pink-haired boy shudder. "Can I open my eyes, now?" Natsu asked.

"Yes," Macao said. "Open them and look at your shoulder." Natsu looked at his shoulder and his eyes widened as he saw the red Fairy Tail stamp on his right shoulder, where he had dreamt of it being for all those years. Unable to thank Macao, Natsu tackled the blue-haired man into a hug, catching him by surprise. "You pass, Natsu," Macao laughed. "You're officially a Fairy Tail mage." _It only gets harder from here, _he thought. _But I have faith that you can do it._


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, guys, it's good to see my story getting liked so far. This is the second chapter to my Fairy Tail - The Naruto Way. Again, feel free to leave a review on what you liked and/or how I can improve the story. Alright, so, here it is!

**Chapter Two:** _Teams and Laxus-sensei!__  
_

_Today's the day, huh? _Natsu thought as he walked down the streets of Magnolia, heading towards the Academy. He wondered who he would be teamed up with and if they'd be jerks *cough cough* Gray *cough cough* or a certain red-head *cough cough* Erza *cough*. Since he was lost in thought, Natsu didn't notice the young boy coming up to him. "Hey, Natsu-nii," Romeo greeted, causing Natsu to look at him in surprise. "Do you have time to spar with me?"

"Uh, hey Romeo," Natsu smiled. "Sorry, I don't have time to play with you today. I need to head to the Academy and be put in my team." Ever since Macao had become Natsu's teacher, he would bring the pink-haired Dragon Slayer home sometimes and he would often get into friendly spars with Romeo. They both shared the same dream of becoming Guild Master and Romeo would always challenge Natsu.

"What're you talking about, Natsu-nii?" Romeo asked, puzzled. "Did you already graduate from the Academy? That's what Dad told me."

"Yeah, exactly," Natsu smirked. "Here look at my guild sign." He showed off the red Fairy Tail emblem on his right shoulder to Romeo, whose eyes widened.

"T-That's t-the..." the young boy trailed off, too shocked for words. Romeo had never imagined that Natsu would become a Fairy Tail wizard much quicker than him, not after failing the Academy three times in a row.

"I'm officially a mage now," Natsu said, pointing to himself. "Now, I'm going to the Academy so they'll put me in my team. Catch ya later, Romeo." He waved to the dazed kid before walking past him, continuing to the Academy quicker than before.

* * *

"What're _you_ doing here, Natsu?" Freed asked as he passed by Natsu's table. "Drop-outs aren't supposed to be here; didn't you fail yesterday?"

"Oh, do you see this, Freed?" Natsu gestured to his Fairy Tail symbol. "I'm a Fairy Tail mage now and we might even be in the same team. How do you like that?"

"You probably took that from Macao-sensei when he wasn't looking," Freed scoffed but gave a small smile before taking a seat. Natsu just grinned back and settled into his own seat. Unbeknownst to him, Lisanna was stealing glances of him and blushed slightly as she looked at his red Fairy Tail sign. _So, looks like the idiot passed, _she smiled mentally.

Then, the classroom door opened and Lucy walked in. _Oh, Lucy's here, huh? _Natsu smirked evilly. _Maybe I'll get to harass her later. _He began to chuckle to himself as he imagined stealing her purse and running away. Then, he felt someone push him to the ground and in the blink of an eye, a large group of students had gathered in front of the table. "HEY," Natsu roared. "What's the big idea?"

"Shut up, Natsu," Lucy yelled back. "Hey, Erza-san, can I take a picture with you?" Natsu turned his head and saw the object of everyone's attention: Erza Scarlet. The red-haired armoured mage sat calmly and anybody could see an air of strong magical power around her. "Erza-san," another fangirl squealed. "Can I get your autograph?" There were several guys too, who either had flowers or love poems that they wanted to present to Erza.

Erza opened her eyes and was about to tell them to leave her alone, but came face-to-face with Natsu Dragneel. The Dragon Slayer was crouched on her desk and glared at her while she simply raised an eyebrow. _What's so special about her? _Natsu wondered. _It's always about Erza. _He growled and everyone could literally see them exchange a static shock between eyes. "NATSU," Lucy shouted. "Stop staring at Erza-san like that." Many of the guys had cocked back their fists, ready to beat up the pink-haired prankster, when the unthinkable happened.

Some student, from the table in front of Erza's, laid back and accidentally caused Natsu to move forward. Since his face was so close to Erza's, when he leaned forward, their lips met in a kiss. _WHAT THE... _Natsu thought before he realized that Erza's lips tasted like strawberries. They parted and gasped for air; Erza choked and gagged on the disgusting taste of Natsu's lips, which tasted like smoke. "NAATTSSUUUU," Erza's fans roared. They had murderous expressions on their faces, which caused Natsu to back away slowly. "YOU'RE SO DEAD!"

* * *

"Good morning, class," Macao said as he took the head seat. "I'm pleased to announce that all of you have successfully graduated from the Mage Academy. However, your careers as mages have begun and it's anything but easy. However, you will not be alone; you will be placed in three-man squads, which will be led by an S-class mage. However, due to an irregular number of students, there will be one four-man team." Now, all the students were listening intently to Macao since they were all interested in what groups they would be placed in.

"These teams are made with respect to your strengths and weaknesses, based on your grades," Macao continued. "So there's a proper balance in every group. Alright, without further delay, I will now announce the squads." Having said that, Macao began to announce the teams but Natsu's name wasn't mentioned in the first six groups. "Okay, Team 7, Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, and... Erza Scarlet."

"NOOO," Natsu roared, standing up. "Macao-sensei, why does a powerful mage like me have to be with Erza? I'm so much be-"

"Sit down, Natsu," Macao commanded, causing Natsu to sit down reluctantly. "Erza had the highest scores in the whole class, whereas, YOU had the lowest. Therefore, in order to balance the team, we put the two of you together." He went to back to his list while Natsu slumped in his seat, defeated.

"Don't hold me back, idiot," Erza grunted to him. Natsu glared at her and would have gotten in her face again if Lucy didn't smack him. However, another person was also disappointed; _NOOO, _Lisanna thought. _Now I can't be with Natsu!_

"Team 8," Macao announced, gathering everybody's attention again. "Lisanna Strauss, Max Alors, and Gray Fullbuster." Lisanna smiled to the two boys while Gray and Max nodded to each other since they had both known each other for a while. Gray smirked at Natsu, who simply glared at him. _Ha, stupid Flamebrain, _Gray laughed mentally. _He's stuck with Erza.__  
_

"Team 9 is already in commission," Macao skipped the team. "Team 10 will consist of Evergreen, Freed Justine and Bickslow." Freed laughed at Evergreen, who simply scoffed and looked away, embarrassed because she had just been arguing with Freed about not being on his team. Bickslow simply continued to play with his dolls, which he referred to as his 'babies'.

"That's all I have, folks," Macao smiled, putting down his paper. "Your leaders will pick you up here and take you wherever you need to go. Good luck, guys!"

* * *

"NATSUU," Lucy yelled as she saw what Natsu was doing. "What are you up to? Our sensei is going to be so mad if he sees that." Nasu stood on top of a large chair and was small bucket of water on the stand next to the door. From it, Natsu connected a string to the knob of the classroom door; thus, when their sensei pulled the door, he would get wet before he knew it.

"Don't worry, Lucy," Natsu smirked. "I've got experience with this stuff."

"Are you seriously this stupid?" Erza shook her head. "Our sensei's a S-class mage of Fairy Tail; do you really think he won't be able to sense this?"

"Just watch, Erza," Natsu said. "This will work flawlessly."

Around five minutes later, the three of them heard footsteps down the hall. _YES! _The pink-haired Dragon Slayer thought. _Now, they'll see! _A hand pushed aside the classroom door and, just like Natsu had made it, the bucket of water fell on top of their sensei's head. Natsu erupted into laughter as he pointed at the wet blonde-haired Lightning mage. "YOU FELL FOR IT!" he continued laughing.

"I'm sorry, sensei, I told him not to do it," Lucy said. Inwardly, she was laughing along with Natsu at his prank. _So his pranks do work sometimes, _she thought.

_It actually worked?! _Erza thought incredulously. _Is this guy really S-class? _Laxus, who was their sensei, flared his Magic aura and dried himself; the sharp rise of power immediately silenced Natsu, intimidated Lucy, and caused Erza to raise an eyebrow. "Looks like you guys are gonna be a pain," Laxus said lazily. "Meet me at the roof of this place and we'll begin!"

* * *

"Okay, kids," Laxus said, when they were all seated at the top of the Academy. "Now, we'll start the introduction. So, why don't you introduce yourselves?" He scratched his chin and picked his nose before turning back to the three mages, who were eyeing him closely.

"Well, sensei, we don't know anything about you," Lucy said. "So, maybe, you should introduce yourself first?"

"Huh," Laxus said, thinking about her proposal. "Sure, I'll go first then. My name is Laxus Dreyar. My likes include listening to music, fighting, practising my magic, and rice balls with mustard. I dislike people talking trash about Fairy Tail, my friends, and people who think they're superior to others. I have no particular dreams for the future. Now, it's your turn." He pointed to Natsu.

"Alright," Natsu smirked. "My name is Natsu Dragneel. I like fighting strong people, practising my magic and pulling pranks on others. My favourite foods are inarizushi, meat balls, and ramen. I also dislike people talking trash about Fairy Tail and most of all, people who treat you badly for something your parent did. My dream and goal is to be the greatest Master ever; then, people will look up to me and treat me like I'm somebody important."

"I see," Laxus said. _He's grown up in an interesting way, _the Lightning mage thought. _And he has the same dream as you, Gildarts-sensei. _Laxus also noticed the reference to the Fire Dragon from ten years ago. "Blonde, it's your turn," Laxus said, turning to Lucy.

"Hey, you're blonde too," Lucy retorted. "Anyway, I'm Lucy Heartifilia. I like learning more about Celestial Spirit Magic, hanging out with my friends, talking with Erza-san, getting...to notice me. My dream for the future is to show... my power..." She trailed off since she was blushing abnormally while Natsu looked at her, puzzled. Erza had a stoic expression on her face, like always. _Damn, _Laxus thought. _She needs a boyfriend. Fast!_

"What are your dislikes?" Laxus asked.

"NATTTSUUU," Lucy yelled, making Natsu's jaw drop. _Great, _Laxus thought. _Just great! Her idol and the person she dislikes are both on the same team?_

"Your turn, red-head," Laxus prompted, looking at Erza.

"My name... is Erza Scarlet," Erza glared, looking evenly at Laxus. "I dislike many things such as loud-mouths, girls that don't take their training seriously, lax teachers etc. And I don't really like anything unless you count strawberry cake. While it's not a dream, since I _will_ make it a reality, I have a certain ambition: to find and kill a certain blue-haired man." She finished her introduction, which had a great effect on the other three.

_Erza-san... is SOOO cool, _Lucy thought, her eyes shining in admiration. Natsu's eyes widened and he wondered who Erza was talking about. On the other hand, Laxus knew exactly who Erza was referring to and her attitude to him simply confirmed his suspicions. _Just as I thought, _Laxus closed his eyes for a moment before re-opening them. _Time to break it to them._

"Alright, I like it," Laxus said. "All of you have your unique personalities and ideals. We'll go on our first job tomorrow."

"YES!" Natsu roared in ecstasy. "So, Laxus-sensei, what job are we going on?"

"It's a task the four of us will do together," Laxus answered. "A survival exercise."

"A survival excericse?" Lucy repeated, slightly angry. "Why? We already did loads of those excercises at the Academy. I thought we would go on a real job!"

"Allow me to explain," Laxus replied, chuckling. "This survival exercise isn't like the ones you've done until now. Out of the 9 squads that have just graduated from the Academy, only 3 will go on to become true Fairy Tail mages. The other 6 groups will go back to the Academy for another year before they go through the survival excercise again. In other words, it's a pass-fail test and no numbers are involved here." At this, all of their faces fell.

"This can't be!" Natsu yelled. "We worked hard to get here. If this is how it is, then what was the purpose of the Graduation Test?"

"Oh, that," Laxus said absent-mindedly. "That was just to select the people that might become mages...or not. Now, be at Training Ground #7 tomorrow at 9 A.M. and bring any weapons you might need. Oh, and another thing; don't eat your breakfast. You'll simply puke." Having said that, Laxus quickly burst into a large amount of intense light, momentarily blinding his team. After rubbing his eyes, Natsu looked up to find that Laxus has disappeared. "Nice move, huh?" Natsu said, looking to his teammates.

Erza silently got up and left the place, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. _This is it, _she thought. _I can't lose tomorrow! _Similar thoughts were running through Natsu and Lucy's heads. _If I fail, I'm not going to be with Erza-san, _Lucy thought. _Not to mention, I might get stuck with Natsu. _Meanwhile, Natsu was thinking about his dream to be Master. _If I don't pass, _he thought. _What was the point of learning Dragon Slayer Magic? Of stealing the scroll? I can't lose either! _He turned and also left, heading home to practice his magic._  
_


	3. Chapter 3

Here's a chapter I'm sure you've all been waiting for. Laxus fights Natsu, Erza, and Lucy! Enjoy and leave a review if you like it!

**Chapter Three:** _The Bell Test_

The next day, before 9 A.M., the three mages arrived at the designated spot. Natsu seemed excited at the prospect of fighting, Erza was neutral as always, while Lucy seemed a bit nervous. The sun shone brightly and a light breeze blew across the plain. They sat down on the grass and waited for Laxus to arrive, which was around a few minutes later.

"Hello there, team," Laxus greeted, putting down his backpack. He took out an alarm and placed it on a wooden stump. "This is set for 12, meaning you have 3 hours to complete the task."

"What task?" Erza asked, eyeing Laxus. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Oh, it's very simple," Laxus said, taking out a couple of bells from his pocket. "You just need to get these bells from me. And, whoever doesn't manage to do so, will be tied to that stump there with NO lunch." The three immediately realized the real reason why Laxus had forbidden them from eating breakfast. _Great, _Natsu thought as he patted his empty stomach.

"What if it's more than one person?" Lucy gulped. "There's only one stump."

"Well, that person will be put there along with the tied-up person," Laxus answered. "And he, or she, will ALSO not get to eat lunch." Their faces fell again, causing Laxus to smirk.

"Hold on a second," Lucy said, another question forming in her mind. "You only have two bells. We're a three-man squad."

"Exactly," Laxus said. "It's so that there will definitely be one person, or more, not getting lunch and getting tied up. Now, are there any more questions?" He lowered the bells and tied them loosely around his belt loops. "You can use whatever weapons and magic you have," he informed them. "If you don't come at me with the intent to kill, you'll never get these bells."

"But, Laxus-sensei," Lucy spoke out. "What if we accidentally hurt you?"

"Yeah, that's true," Natsu laughed. "You couldn't even dodge that bucket of water!"

"Class-clowns are usually the easiest to beat; ignore them," Laxus scoffed. "They get the lowest scores, talk big, and are losers in general." He turned to the others, ignoring Natsu, which caused a vein to pop in the pink-haired boy's head.

_What did he say?! _Natsu thought angrily. _Loser?! _He roared and charged straight at Laxus, fist cocked. "NATSU," Lucy yelled. "DON'T CHARGE HIM." In the blink of an eye, Laxus manoeuvred himself behind Natsu and twisted the latter's arm to his back. Natsu gave a groan and gritted his teeth at the uncomfortable position.

"Don't be so hasty," Laxus reprimanded. "I haven't even said start yet. But I liked how you came at me with the intent to kill." He released Natsu after a second, who moved away from the Lightning mage. _That was so fast! _Lucy thought as she saw the action. _I couldn't even see it! _Erza narrowed her eyes as she saw Laxus intercept Natsu's punch and twist his arm. _So he **is **a S-class mage,_ she thought, wondering how she would get the bells.

* * *

"Well, Macao," Makarov prompted. "What did you want to see me about?" The two of them were at Guild Headquarters, drinking a cup of coffee at the local bar. The day before, after announcing the teams, he had gone to get an appointment to see the Master.

"Natsu's been assigned to Team 7," Macao explained, taking sips of his coffee. "I wanted to ask you about the person in charge of the squad. How tough a trainer is he, exactly?"

"Laxus, you mean?" Makarov raised his head, looking evenly at Macao. "Are you concerned about him?"

"Yes, I am," Macao said, putting down his cup. "I heard a rumour about his training methods."

"Well, take a look," Makarov said, giving Macao a blue-green book. "This is the record of the students he's passed and failed."

"This... can't be," Macao said incredulously as he read the book. "Not a _single _team has ever passed his test. Laxus fails all of them!"

"I agree that Laxus' test is more difficult than the others," Makarov said, finishing his coffee and letting out a sigh. "But he has high expectations and, what can I say, none of the other teams have ever lived up to his standards."

"What makes you think that he'll pass Team 7?" Macao asked, putting down the book. "I think he's going to fail this squad, as well."

"Macao, this team is young," Makarov said slowly. "Even I cannot say if it is good for them to face the dangers of mage-life. But Laxus was right about the teams he failed."

"I-I understand, Master," Macao said as he got up. "I'll be taking my leave then."

"Macao, listen to me," Makarov called after Macao had put on his coat. "Whatever happens to Team 7, you mustn't blame Laxus for it. The Bell Test has always been this way for the past generations! Even when I trained Gildarts and Ivan and when Gildarts trained Laxus." Macao nodded slowly before finally leaving.

* * *

"Alright, START!" Laxus declared. Erza decided to retreat and come up a plan before taking the Lightning mage on, which was soon followed by Lucy. _Man, that girl's got a good strategic head, _Laxus thought. Then, he quickly sensed someone behind him and turned to meet... Natsu Dragneel.

"Let's go, Laxus-sensei," Natsu said, cracking his knuckles. "I admit you got me there. But now, it's time to fight; fair and square." He quickly charged at Laxus but kept his focus, this time. Laxus blocked his first punch, dodged Natsu's kick with ease, and effortlessly blocked his roundhouse kick. Natsu quickly rebounded off a tree and flew at Laxus, who smiled before disappearing view.

_Where'd he go?! _The pink-haired boy thought as he skidded to a halt. "IDIOT," Erza's voice came. "MOVE AWAY!" But it was too late and Laxus' punch caught Natsu straight in the jaw, sending him flying into the stream flowing nearby.

"You shouldn't let your opponent get behind you so much," Laxus chided. "Now, look where that got you." He closed his eyes and began to walk towards the forest, hoping to catch the other two. Then, he quickly heard water slapping onto the banks and turned around to see Natsu crawling out of the river.

"Damn it," Natsu cursed as he slowly got up. "I'm starving; I shouldn't have listened to this bastard and eaten breakfast."

"You know you won't get any lunch unless you take a bell," Laxus chuckled. "You're pretty weak for somebody who wants to be Guild Master someday. I thought you'd give me a bit more challenge than that. Oh, well." He turned and continued walking towards the forest.

"Oh, yeah?" Natsu smirked. He slammed his fists together and his Magic seal appeared, covering him in flames. Laxus stopped and faced Natsu, raising an eyebrow. After a few seconds, the flames disappeared and only his hands were on fire. "Let's try this again, Laxus-taicho," Natsu smirked. "I think that has a better ring to it than sensei, don't you think?"

"Let's see what you can do, kid," Laxus said, smirking. Natsu charged at Laxus, shooting off the ground with a burst of flames. Then, he came down upon Laxus from above with a flame-covered fist._  
_

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist,**" Natsu yelled and threw his punch. Laxus quickly dodged the attack, which destroyed the ground where the Lightning mage stood. _So the stories are true, _Laxus thought. _He can use Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, huh? _Natsu quickly turned and continued throwing punch after punch, destroying much of the area. However, Laxus easily dodged every single one of his attacks.

"You're still too slow, Natsu," Laxus informed him. "Your attacks are powerful but you'll never hit me with them." Having said that, Laxus quickly punched Natsu in the face before kicking him away. The Dragon Slayer quickly rebounded off the ground and landed on his feet.

"Is that right?" Natsu smirked. "Let's see you try this, then. **Fire Dragon's Roar.**" He quickly gathered a large amount of fire in his mouth before releasing them in a large stream of flames. Laxus disappeared in the inferno of fire, which made a crater in the ground. Lucy and Erza's mouths dropped in surprise; _Where did Natsu get all this power, _Lucy thought. _He's actually quite cool!__  
_

A few seconds later, Laxus shot out of the side of the flames. "Nice try, Natsu," he laughed. "Too bad it didn't work." Then, his laugh turned into a yell as Natsu jumped off a tree and tackled him from behind. "W-What is this?" Laxus roared.

"I distracted you with my Dragon's Roar," Natsu explained. "Then I snuck up on you from behind. Didn't you say you shouldn't let people get behind you? Good advice, taicho. AND NOW, **BURN.**" He immediately covered himself in flames, frying Laxus and turning him completely charred.

Then, Laxus' form flickered and he disappeared. "W-What was that?" Natsu asked, backing away. Erza's eyes narrowed once again as she realized the situation. _That was really smooth, _she thought. _He left behind a Thought Projection and escaped. But when did he... _Her eyes widened as it struck her that Laxus had been using a Thought Projection the entire time. _Damn, _Erza cursed. _He got me; the real Laxus never even came to this training ground until about now.__  
_

A shiny object caught Natsu's eye, causing him to look down. _A __bell?! _Natsu thought, grinning widely. _He must have dropped it. _"NO, IDIOT," Erza yelled. "Don't touch that!" But, like last time, Natsu didn't listen to her and picked it up, which activated the trap. Before he knew it, Natsu was hanging upside down from the large oak tree in the middle of the training ground. Erza face-palmed herself before moving on to a new location so Laxus wouldn't find her.

Laxus re-appeared and picked up the bell from the ground. "I didn't think you'd fall for that, Natsu," he shook his head. "You should seriously analyse your opponent, make sure he's not a Thought Projection before using destructive magic like that." He continued to rant at Natsu about his stupidity while Erza immediately realized that he ha dropped his guard. _Now's my chance,_ she thought.

Erza summoned a volley of five short swords and used her mind to shoot them at Laxus. "When will you-" The Lightning mage never finished since he was immediately catapulted by the swords, forcing him into a tree. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, ERZA?" Natsu roared. "YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR." However, Laxus' form dissipated once again. _Another Thought Projection?! _Erza immediately turned and ran off at full speed, cursing the S-class mage. _He made it seem as if he lowered his guard, _the armoured mage thought. _And I fell for it._

Lucy followed after Erza, jumping from branch to branch. _Don't worry, Erza-san, _she thought. _I'm coming to help you. We'll fight Laxus-sensei together. _Then, catching sight of the blonde mage, she immediately ducked. "That was close," she whispered to herself. Then, Lucy turned around and came face-to-face with Laxus, who smiled and flared his Magic aura, effectively knocking her out. _Well, that was boring, _Laxus thought as he left to face Erza.

"So you found me, huh?" Erza said, turning to face Laxus. "But I'm warning you; I'm not like Natsu or Lucy."

"Say that after you get a bell, Erza," Laxus smirked. _Let's see what the best student can really do. _Erza immediately summoned two swords and charged at Laxus, slashing at his face. Laxus easily dodged her strikes and punched at her but she quickly evaded his strike, kicking at his face. But Laxus moved away from her, keeping some distance between them. _Man, this girl's fierce, _Laxus thought. _Guess I can't listen to music now._

"I'm not done with you yet," Erza shouted. "**Requip!**" Her crimson magic seal appeared and Erza's whole image glowed magically, causing Laxus to avert his eyes slightly. Then, Erza stepped out in a large bulky yellow armour. "This is The Giant's Armour," Erza yelled. She summoned a lance and channelled her Magic power through the weapon before throwing it at Laxus.

A large explosion, even greater than Natsu's Roar, occurred and Laxus found himself on the receiving end for the second time that day. _These kids aren't bad, _he thought as he protected himself by covering his body in lightning. Erza had requiped back into her regular armour and was amazed that Laxus didn't have a single scratch on him. "H-How...w-why..." She backed away, leaving herself momentarily open. Laxus' yellow magic seal appeared below Erza's feet and a stream of lightning hit the red-haired mage, lifting her several meters into the air, before she fell down on the floor.

"It's true," Laxus admitted, wiping his pants and shirt. "You **are** different from the other two, I'll grant you that. But different doesn't always mean better" He waved a bye to her, turned on his music, and left the scene. Meanwhile, Erza writhed on the floor, too electrocuted to move. She clenched her armoured hands and cursed her level of strength, _I need to get stronger_

* * *

"Looks like none of you managed to get a bell," Laxus chided as he heard their rumbling stomachs. He had tied up Lucy to the stump since she had done the least out of the three of them in getting a bell. "You know, I've decided not to send the three of you back to the Academy... even if you haven't gotten the bells." At that, both Natsu and Lucy smiled and began to laugh. Erza raised an eyebrow, wondering what the catch was.

"WE PASSED!" Natsu roared. "WE DID IT. Thank you, Laxus-taicho." Lucy nodded in affirmation, who was initially depressed since she had done nothing but hide and get knocked out.

"Oh, yeah," Laxus smirked. "I've decided to drop the three of you from the wizard program permanently." Immediately, their faces fell and Natsu's cheering stopped abruptly.

"DROP US FROM THE PROGRAM?" Natsu yelled out. "Why would you do that?! You said that if we didn't get the bells, you would send us to the Academy. Not drops us from the program altogether."

"Because you don't think like mages," Laxus answered. "You think like little kids, like amateurs." At that, Erza lost her cool and charged at Laxus, similar to how Natsu had earlier. Laxus easily dodged her strike and sent her crashing to the floor with an electrical discharge. He scoffed and looked at her, "You think it's all about you, don't you? You think being a mage is like a game. Why do you think we put you in teams in the first place?"

"What're you getting at, sensei?" Lucy asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has to do with everything," Laxus replied. "Whether you understand that decides whether you pass or fail. It's essentially what this survival exercise was all about, in the first place."

"Well, uh," Lucy said uncertainly. "I wanted to ask you about that in the first place!"

"Use your head," Laxus scoffed. "Why do you think we would put you in a three-man squad?"

"How are we supposed to know?" Natsu said. "We didn't make the rules!"

"It's so basic," Laxus growled. "Teamwork! It's too late now but if all three of you had come at me, you might have been able to take one of the bells."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Lucy said. "There's only two bells and three of us. Even if we managed to get both bells, one of us would be short on 1 bell. That would lead to group conflict and we'd split up anyway."

"Exactly," Laxus said. "I purposely pitted you against each other. I wanted to see if you could overcome your own interests and put the squad ahead of you. So, instead of each person getting a bell, it would be the three of you claiming two bells. But you three completely messed up; Lucy, you would have done anything to help Erza yet Natsu was tied up, right in front of you. Natsu, you tried to do everything on your own and failed miserably. And you, Erza, thought the others were beneath you and were useless."

The three of them were silent as Laxus pointed out their faults. Lucy wondered about her admiration of Erza, Natsu was wondering about his ways of charging the opponent on his own, without thinking, while Erza was simply quiet at her superiority complex. _But they're just idiots, _the red-haired mage thought. _Right? _Laxus eventually turned and walked up to the large monumental stone behind him.

"Every wizard understands this," Laxus said. "While you need to be individually skilled, teamwork is the most important. Fairy Tail understands the importance of your nakama above all else! Did you look at this stone? The names engraved upon this stone are all mages that laid down their lives for the good of the guild and our city. They were all heroes that died in action, in the best interests of Fairy Tail. Some of my closest friends have their names here."

"So," Lucy prompted. "What now?"

"Alright, listen up, brats," Laxus said, turning to face them. "I'm going to give you another chance. But I'm not going to go as easy on you as last time. Natsu and Erza, you two can eat your lunch but Lucy doesn't get any. And... if any of you try to feed her, I'm going to immediately fail the whole team and you'll be dropped out of the wizard program." Having said that, Laxus disappeared in a burst of fiery light.

* * *

Following Laxus' instructions, Erza and Natsu ate their lunch and didn't give Lucy any. Her stomach growled as Laxus came onto the field again. _Looks like they didn't really get it, _the Lightning mage thought, disappointed. He had purposely told Natsu and Erza not to share their lunch, wanting to see if they could at least apply some teamwork there but it seemed like they wasted their opportunity. "Alright, START," Laxus declared and the three of them disappeared into the woods.

When they'd finally secured a location, all three of them began to formulate a plan. "He's too strong for us," Erza said. "We need to team up. Okay, Natsu, here's the plan. You're going to go out there and distract him while I attack him from behind; this probably won't work but it'll surprise him enough that we'll both hit him with our magic simultaneously."

"Heh, I don't like it but I'll do it this once," Natsu said, smiling at her. She smiled back and Natsu almost blushed. _Dude, get a grip, _the pink-haired Dragon Slayer thought. _This is **Erza!**_He mentally shuddered but it was ignored by the red-haired armoured mage.

"What about me, guys?" Lucy asked. "I also have to help somehow." Natsu looked blankly at her but Erza used her Requip to summon her backpack, taking out a lunch box from it.

"Laxus didn't say anything about not giving you lunch in the forest," Erza explained. "Eat up quickly and when you find an opening, attack with your Celestial Spirit Magic. Got it?" Lucy simply nodded, blushing deeply as she mentally praised Erza for thinking that much about her well-being. Natsu stood up and walked out of the forest while Erza took to the trees, following him from there.

"Oh, it's Natsu," Laxus greeted as Natsu stood across the clearing. "So are you going solo again? Didn't you listen to anything I said?" He was quite disappointed in the three for blatantly ignoring him or maybe not comprehending his words. _Looks like another team I'm going to have to fail, _the Lightning mage thought somewhat remorsefully.

"I don't need Erza or Lucy," Natsu acted, scowling. "Now that I've eaten, I'm all revved up." He set his fists ablaze and dashed towards Laxus, much faster than before but it was nowhere fast enough to catch Laxus off guard. He easily dodged the punches before elbowing Natsu in the face and pushing him back. Then, thinking of ending it early, he prepared his Lightning Magic.

"It's over, Natsu," Laxus said. Then, he quickly heard something to his right and moved back, dodging another one of Erza's projectiles. _So, they **did **take my advice,_ the Lightning mage thought. Erza landed on the ground and stood next to Natsu, who had a broad grin on his face. Laxus smirked and got up, cracking his knuckles. _This might actually be fun, _he thought.

"Let's go, Natsu!" Erza shouted. "**Requip.**" She changed into her Black Wing Armour while Natsu gathered up flames in his mouth. He released the fire, which shot towards Laxus. The S-class mage quickly leaped into the air and came face-to-face with Erza, who slashed at his neck. Laxus covered his hands in orbs of lightning in a similar fashion to Natsu, used one of them to block Erza's sword, and another to punch at her. But Natsu gave out an earth-shattering roar and shot off into the sky like a rocket, head-butting Laxus in the gut and pushing him back.**  
**

_So he uses Lightning Magic, _Erza noticed. Unfortunately, she didn't have any armour that could neutralize Laxus' magic. Natsu charged at Laxus again, prompting Erza to also jump into action. The two of them continued to fight Laxus, who easily intercepted both of their attacks with his lightning-covered hands. _Any time now, Lucy, _Natsu thought desperately. Right on the cue, Lucy appeared out of the forest, a Zodiac Key in her hand.

"**Gate of the Golden Bullet, I open thee! Taurus!**" Lucy yelled, twisting the Key in empty space. Then, there was a glow and Taurus immediately shot towards Laxus, surprising him. Due to that, while Erza missed, Natsu got in a punch on Laxus before Taurus released a blast of energy from his axe. While Laxus was able to block the attack, it forced him back and burned part of his clothing. Lucy squealed and gave Erza a high-five before nodding awkwardly to Natsu. Taurus disappeared after having finished his job.

"Man, you guys are something else," Laxus groaned as he got up. "But this is what I was talking about earlier. And I've decided... to let you guys pass. SQUAD 7 STARTS ITS FIRST MISSION TOMORROW. By the way, Erza, I noticed you give your lunch to Lucy." At that, their faces fell as they hadn't expected their leader to have been watching then too.

"Then, why didn't you-" Lucy began before Laxus cut her off.

"There was no need," Laxus explained. "Erza came up with a strategy, Natsu and her engaged me in combat, tried to make me think they weren't including you and you showed up with the final blow. There's no fault I can come up with in that strategy. Plus, it's true that I didn't say anything about not feeding you afterwards. Now, guys, go home and prepare for tomorrow. Same time and place." Having said that, Laxus did his trick to disappear again.

"This is only for the team, got it?" Erza said, looking at Natsu. "Don't hold me back, Natsu."

"Sure, Erza," Natsu smirked. "Wouldn't want it any other way." They both smiled at each other for a moment before frowning and leaving with a scoff. Lucy watched the two of them giggled at their antics, wondering, _Maybe they'll become friends after all. _Then, she immediately ran after Erza for her autograph, which she still hadn't gotten.


	4. Chapter 4

So, for those of you that have watched Naruto, you'll know what the characters will do but not who they are. And, to my fellow Fairy Tail fans, this will be one of the many fights you've seen in Fairy Tail but with a different setting. Alright, without further delay, here's the next chapter for y'all!

**Chapter Four:** _Journey to Hargeon Town_

The sun shone brightly and the sky was a brilliant blue. However, the forest was quite and not a single sound could be heard except the rustling of trees and bushes. "Lucy," Lucy announced through her speaker. "I'm at Point C. Clear!" Team 7 was on their first job, which was to catch a missing creature.

"Erza," Erza spoke her name. "I'm at Point B. Clear!" She was hiding behind a tree, waiting for the animal to arrive.

"Natsu," Natsu's voice boomed. "I'm at Point A. Nothing here." As usual, the pink-haired Dragon Slayer had a grin on his face and was hiding in a bush, trying not to move.

"Be faster, Natsu," Laxus sighed. "Alright, Squad 7, the target is... there!" Suddenly, the small but fast animal entered the clearing, coming to a stop as it sleekly moved through the bushes. The three immediately caught sight of it and after a second of hesitation, they launched themselves at the animal. However, only Natsu managed to catch the... cat, causing it jump in surprise and scratch Natsu's face.

"SOMEONE GET THIS THING OFF ME!" Natsu screamed as Tora, the lost cat, continued to scratch his face. Lucy simply shook her head as if it was all Natsu's fault before nodding at Erza, who spoke into her mic.

"We've got him," Erza said before correcting herself. "I mean, her."

"Alright, guys," Laxus said. "We finished the job! Let's get her to Guild Headquarters; I'll meet you outside the forest."

* * *

"My dear little Tora," the wife of the Mayor immediately crushed her cheek against the cat. "I missed you so much! Don't run off like that again, Tora-darling." Lucy and Natsu looked horrified at how the cat was getting treated. _No wonder she ran away, _Lucy thought. Erza simply shook her head while Laxus ran a hand through his hair, wanting to be at home and listening to music. After a minute or two, she finally finished cuddling the cat and took him outside the room.

"Now, then," Makarov said, his voice penetrating the room. "We have several jobs for Team 7. Among them are babysitting the Chief Counsellor's 3-year-old, helping his wife do the shopping, gardening the Mayor's lawn, pre-"

"Come on, Gramps!" Natsu complained in exasperation. "I wanna go on a real mission, not this boring kid's stuff. You don't even need to be a mage to do all these things. And-" He would have continued ranting at the Master if Laxus hadn't sighed and knocked him down with a punch, telling him to put a lid on it.

"Natsu," Makarov said, looking at the boy. "It seems you don't understand the tasks you have been given. Listen, many different requests and jobs come into our guild, ranging from babysitting to assassination. These requests are carefully recorded, analysed, and ranked in respect to their difficulty. These ranks are 100-year, 10-year, S-rank, and Normal."

"So then, the guy said that he didn't have any ramen," Natsu was saying to the others. "I just-"

"QUIET!" Makarov roared, causing all of them to redirect their attention to him. Laxus gave him a sheepish apology, which Makarov accepted, but Natsu wasn't buying any of that.

"You always lecture me, Gramps!" Natsu said, looking pointedly at the Master. "But I'm not the brat that used to pull pranks all the time. I'm a mage and I want a proper job!" Having said that, he sat cross-legged on the floor and turned away from the Master.

"Is that right?" Makarov asked, beginning to chuckle. "So, Natsu wants us to know that he's not a brat. He's a former brat, eh? Very well, since you're this determined, I'm going to give you a high-level mission." In an instant, Natsu got off the ground and was eagerly asking Makarov about it, causing the old man to laugh. Erza and Lucy were also smiling, excited to be going on a mission. Laxus simply thought, _I'll hear about this later.__  
_

"This is one of the highest Normal jobs we have," Makarov explained. "You'll be bodyguards on a journey. And this is your client; call him in!" A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal a man of average height, sporting a thick black beard, and wore an old grey hat. In his hand was a bottle of vodka, which he drowned himself in and his clothes smelled of rum.

"What is this?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. "A bunch of kids? I thought some mages would protect you. Especially you there, with the weird eyes and pink hair. Do you seriously expect me to believe you're a mage?"

"What did you say, old man?" Natsu asked, stepping forward. "Do you want me to burn that beard of yours? HUH?" Laxus quickly grabbed the Dragon Slayer's collar, holding him back while Natsu screamed a string of insults at the man.

"Natsu, calm down," Laxus chided. "You can't kill the client! We're supposed to protect him." Lucy nodded and smacked Natsu on the head, causing him to glare at her and try to strangle her. Erza had her eyes closed, as usual, and didn't partake in her team's actions.

"My name's Aoi," the man drank his vodka deeply. "I'm from Hargeon, the famous port. Your job is to take me there safely and protect me while I give the Mayor some incredibly important documents. Got it?"

* * *

An hour later, Team 7 and Aoi had gathered at the gates of Magnolia. "Man, I sure am excited," Natsu said as they left the city behind. "This is the first time I've been outside the city." Lucy nodded, agreeing with him on that note. Erza, while not saying anything, also felt excited about the mission. _I hope I get to encounter some strong wizards, _she thought.

"Am I really supposed to trust this runt?" Aoi asked, pointing to Natsu. "He's a joke. He hasn't even gone out of Magnolia before!" Natsu glared at Aoi and raised his fist for a second before scoffing and walking away.

"They're with me and I'm a S-class mage," Laxus answered, causing Aoi's eyebrow to widen slightly. "There's nothing to worry about. Besides, you mentioned that the only people likely to attack you are bandits and robbers. So we're fine!" The Lightning mage smiled but he didn't notice Aoi frowning slightly. After that, the group continued walking towards the train station.

"Say, Aoi-san, you're from Hargeon right?" Lucy asked, getting a nod from the man. She turned to Laxus. "Sensei, isn't there a guild in Hargeon as well?"

"No, there's no guild in Hargeon," Laxus said. "There aren't always guilds in cities and towns, contrary to Magnolia. Only large and famous towns and cities have guilds; thus, the other towns have to go to the closest guild for whatever request they have. To the people of this massive country, Fiore, the existence of guilds shows off the city's power, or in other words, militaristic might. Therefore, the power to defend themselves."

"But what about towns like Hargeon?" Lucy asked. "Don't they also need to defend themselves?"

"Well, in the case of Hargeon, it's a peaceful port town," Laxus explained. "It is also the centre for trade, commerce, and finance. Their defence comes from their natural protection: the sea. Hargeon is covered by the sea in almost all routes except for the railways, which is the reason we're taking the train. Currently, the 5 strongest guilds in Fiore are Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Phantom Lord and Sabertooth. They occupy the largest cities and, of course, their Guild Masters are also of the highest calibre.

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Lucy squealed. "That means Master is pretty important, isn't he?" Secretly, in her mind, Lucy was surprised since she hadn't expected Makarov to be that important nor Fairy Tail to be one of the strongest. She had always known that Fairy Tail had exceptional mages but to be the strongest guild out there...

_Is that old man really all that? _Natsu thought. _I caught him reading perverted magazines and reading smut when I was a kid. _"Hey," Laxus said, narrowing his eyes at them. "Were any of you underestimating Master's greatness?" Natsu and Lucy immediately snapped out of their reveries and shook their head, hurriedly. Erza decided not to waste her energy and didn't answer Laxus. _Man, this girl's tough, _the Lightning mage thought. _Not unlike me, though..._

"Relax, I was just kidding," Laxus smiled. "Anyway, there aren't any mage fights on Normal jobs around 95 percent of the time. And even if we do confront any, I can easily take them down since there definitely won't be any S-rank wizards." At that, Aoi gave another frown, which only Erza noticed, causing her to narrow her eyes. After that, they decided not to talk until they reached the train station. Then, Team 7 and Aoi crossed a bridge when the attack happened.

When the mages had passed, two men erupted out of a puddle at the side of the road and charged at Laxus. _NANI?! _The Lightning mage thought as he turned around in surprise. One of them released a blast of dark-coloured magic, which disintegrated Laxus and created an explosion. _Laxus-taicho?! _Natsu thought, too shocked for words. Then, the two of them appeared behind Natsu, preparing another magic blast. "You're next, boy," they chorused.

Erza immediately shot into action, summoning a sword. Then, with amazing accuracy, she hurled it at and pinned the attacker on the right to the tree behind him. Before his partner could help him, the red-haired armoured mage requiped herself with two swords and slashed the man, cutting him deeply. But he quickly tore off his coat, which is what Erza's sword had pinned him with, and shot towards Lucy and Aoi.

"Stay behind me," Lucy said and Aoi followed her command, hiding behind her. She fumbled with her Celestial Spirit Keys and, knowing she wouldn't make it in time, Erza appeared in front of her in a burst of speed. To make sure there wouldn't be any left, the other charged at the frozen Natsu with his club, ready to smash the pink-haired boy's skull. _Is this it? _Natsu thought. _Am I... gonna die?_

Then, Laxus grabbed the one attacking Natsu by the face and threw him at the other, knocking them both back. "Laxus-sensei?!" Lucy asked incredulously. "You're alive?!" Erza stood straight and retrieved her sword from the tree, making it disappear. Natsu slowly got up, ashamed that he hadn't done anything. Erza had done the fighting, Lucy had even tried to protect the client, while Laxus had taken them down. Whereas, if the Lightning mage had been a second too late, Natsu would have a crushed brain.

"When did you use a Thought Projection?" Erza asked as Laxus tied up the two. "I didn't see any signs of it until now."

"The explosion gave me plenty of time to make a Thought Projection and hide in the forest," Laxus said, standing up. "Good job, Erza, that was smooth. You too, Lucy, good job!" Natsu clenched his teeth and bunched up his fists. _Why did I freeze up like that? _he thought. _I could have murdered them with Dragon Slayer Magic. _Yet Natsu knew deep in his heart why; at the sight of trouble, he had chickened out and left everything up to Erza, who used her brain and magic to fend them off. Even Lucy knew that she had to protect the client, despite how little she could do.

_How did she do that? _Natsu thought, looking at Erza. _She fought them as if she'd done it a thousand times. Didn't she feel scared? Or frightened? _He snapped out of his reverie when she began to walk towards him, her eyes closed. "Can I help you with something?" Natsu tried to be snide, failing after the last battle.

"Natsu," Erza said, looking at him. "Next time we face an enemy like that, do me a favour and just run." Having said that, she turned away and walked off towards the others, who were all standing around the tree where the two men were tied up. _Run away? RUN AWAY?! _Natsu thought angrily as he watched her retreating form. _I'll show you run away, Erza._ He released a bit of fire from his nostrils before going to join his group, revved up by Erza's comment.

"They're the two brothers Zatô and Gatô," Laxus said. "From their names and stamps, it's obvious they're from the Dark Guild, Naked Mummy."

"How did you know about our ambush?" Zatô asked. "Quick reflexes alone wouldn't have saved you."

"You're right," Laxus said. "I merely thought it was suspicious that there should be a puddle when it hasn't rained for weeks. Then, it became clear to me that it was a Water Magic spell."

"Why did you let the kids do the fighting?" Aoi asked. "You could have easily taken them out in the first place."

"I could have," Laxus agreed. "But then, I wouldn't have learned who their target was. Were they after us, mages attacking mages? Or you, a simple sailor and merchant? When you put in your request, you asked for protection against bandits or robbers; you never mentioned there would be wizards attacking you. From Dark Guilds, no less. That makes this no less than a S-rank quest; we're now beyond the scope of the mission."

"We're only regular mages," Lucy said. "Not to mention we've just graduated from the Academy. This is too advanced for our level of training. We should go back to the city and get more experienced people to do this job."

"I guess you're right," Laxus said. "Alright, then, let's head ba-"

"NO," Natsu said, causing them all to look at him, surprised. "Do you guys mean to tell me that we're going back just when it got interesting? NO WAY. I worked SO hard to get here. Pushing myself until I reached my limit and surpassed it! Training alone for hours on end. ANYTHING to get stronger; to reach my dream. And this is the type of mission I need to do that. I won't freeze up again and NOBODY will have to save me; I swear on my life that I'll protect the merchant and I'll stay on guard for the rest of the mission. Don't you guys worry about me!" Having said that, many fiery entrails began to come out his body, giving way to Natsu's emotions.

"Guess we have no choice, then," Laxus said, smiling. "Alright, Natsu, have it your way; we'll go through with this mission!" Natsu and Erza both smiled, Aoi sighed in relief, while Lucy just sweat-dropped. After that, they continued on their way but they were all more on guard, especially Natsu.

* * *

"When is he going to arrive?" Kazuki, the Underworld Don, asked his bodyguard. "Wasn't he supposed to be here half an hour ago?" Just as the man was about to answer, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed to the floor. Immediately, all of Kazuki's servants and accomplices in the room fell to the floor, unconscious. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Kazuki shouted. "WHO'S THERE?"

"Please keep your voice down, Kazuki-san," a muffed voice said. "I'm sorry for being tardy." Kazuki turned to see Mystogan walking towards himself, his eyes staring deep into Kazuki's soul. _Damn mages, _Kazuki thought. After Bora left their business and fled to Magnolia, Kazuki had developed a special dislike for mages, finding them cowardly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kazuki smiled, offering his hand. "It's just you caught me by surprise there. Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here."

"Indeed," Mystogan answered, sitting down. "But the reward you were offering was simply too great to be ignored. Please, tell me."

"There is a certain man who is a... thorn to my business," Kazuki explained. "I need to have him killed so he won't pose a problem in the future."

"But why would you need a mage for this?" Mystogan asked, leaning forward. "Surely killing 1 man isn't too hard a task for your henchmen."

"His name is Aoi," Kazuki said. "And the reason I need your help is because there is a group of Fairy Tail mages guarding him. I need you to dispose of them and kill Aoi at all costs."

"Very well, Kazuki-san," Mystogan said. "But I do expect you to prepare that 10,000,000-Jewel reward for me. Where are they now?"

"Thank you for accepting, Mystogan," Kazuki said. "The last time I hired two goons from Naked Mummy and they failed the job. I really hope you don't fail, as well, or you're not getting a single Jewel. Now, they're probably on the train to Hargeon."

"I see," Mystogan said. "Well, thank you for telling me." He got up, shook Kazuki's hand once more before turning around and disappearing into mist. As soon as he left, the sleeping members of the room began to wake up, groaning as they dazedly got up. _Let's see how you do, Mystogan, _Kazuki thought as he settled back into his chair, an evil grin marring his features.

* * *

Both Lucy and Natsu marvelled at the sights they got to see as the train rode by. Even Erza stole many glances at the beautiful forest and they even passed by a small waterfall. "I can't wait to travel by train more often," Lucy said, chuckling. "This should be fun." Laxus let them enjoy their time, not wanting to tell them that they would also have to travel by foot a lot of the time. Aoi sat silently, deep in thought, which prompted the Lightning mage in talking with him.

"Aoi-san," Laxus said, grabbing the man's attention. "Before we reach the station, I have to ask you something. Who are the men after you? We need to know if we are to guard you."

"I suppose it's time you know," Aoi answered, looking up at them. Both Natsu and Lucy let their smiles drop and paid close attention to the merchant. "The man who's after my life is also one of the most influential men in Fiore. I'm sure you know him, or have heard of him. His name's Kazuki."

"Kazuki?!" Laxus asked, his eyes widening. "Of course, I've heard of him. He's the famous Don of Fiore's Underworld and unfortunately, one of the most richest and influential men alive."

"Wait a minute," Natsu said, looking between the two men. "If he's such a bad guy, how come he hasn't been jailed yet?"

"Unfortunately," Aoi said, "he's never been caught doing his crimes. You see, Kazuki is so manipulative and sneaky, he's managed to wipe off almost every single piece of evidence against him."

"Almost?" Laxus immediately realized what Aoi was talking about. "Those documents that you're going to deliver to the Mayor..."

"Exactly," Aoi said. "After many months, I've managed to get my hands on some evidence of Kazuki's heinous crimes. Slavery, thievery, drugs, criminal gangs, child abuse and many other crimes. Kazuki's the man down in a lot of it and if I manage to reveal him, I'll be doing this country a great deed. Not to mention what he does with his henchmen and accomplices at night, in our town of Hargeon."

"What does he do?" Lucy asked. "I mean, Hargeon's only special because of it's port, right? No one would be interested in doing business with this type of stuff."

"That's where you're wrong, girl," Aoi said. "There's many people that are into this type of business. And Kazuki sends ship full of products of his foul schemes to people in other famous cities and towns. For many years now, Kazuki's made Hargeon his secret lair and no one dares to double-cross him, especially after..." He trailed off, looking downcast.

"What happened?" Laxus prompted. "You need to tell us the whole story, Aoi-san."

"The last person who dared to step up against him was my son, Riko," Aoi told them. "At the time, Kazuki still had his right-hand man and the two of them killed my son, hiding his corpse somewhere and telling the authorities that they knew nothing of him. After that, Bora soon left the business and Kazuki would have hunted him down, had he not covered his tracks carefully."

"BORA?!" Natsu asked in surprise. "Did the guy have blue hair?"

"Yes," Aoi said, looking at him with interest. "Did you know him?"

"Yeah, he was my evil sensei!" Natsu answered. "He came to Magnolia and became an Academy teacher. Then, he tried to-"

"In other words," Laxus interrupted, cutting off Natsu. "What he means is that Bora gave us a fair share of trouble as well, leading to his capture and imprisonment. However, after the information you just gave us, I think he's probably gonna get the death penalty now." Lucy didn't suspect anything but Erza wondered why Laxus had cut Natsu off. _What're they hiding? _the red-haired armoured mage thought suspiciously.

"But there is something I don't understand," Laxus said. "If you knew how dangerous Kazuki was and that he'd be sending mages after your life, why did you hide that from us? Why didn't you tell us so we could send the proper mages for the job?"

"Because we just couldn't pay the price," Aoi said. "Hargeon Town was never a very rich town and, after Kazuki drained our wealth, there just wasn't any way we could pay for a S-rank job." After that, there was a pregnant pause before Laxus spoke up for a final time.

"So, where are the documents now?" Laxus asked. "In your bag?" Aoi merely nodded before sinking back into his seat and closing his eyes, intent of getting some sleep before they arrived at Hargeon Station. Without saying a single, Laxus also laid back and digested the information Aoi had given them while Erza also decided to sleep. Natsu and Lucy decided to keep watch and make sure their train didn't get attacked, which didn't seem like an unlikely possibility anymore.

* * *

While their train wasn't attacked, it did break down a quarter-way from Hargeon. "_All passengers,_" the driver's voice boomed from the speaker. "_The train's engine apparently has some __dysfunctions. Therefore, we have to stop here until the problems are fixed. Please be patient and I can guarantee it won't take long._" Groaning, Laxus took his team and Aoi outside to find that they had stopped in the forest.

"Great," Natsu muttered sarcastically. "What do we do now, taicho?" Most of the other passengers were walking back towards the last train station, where they would undoubtedly wait for the train to get fix before continuing on the journey. However, many of the passengers had gathered their things and were walking towards Hargeon Station, cursing how their Jewels were wasted.

"Okay, let's go through the forest," Laxus said. "I've been here before so I know a easier path." They nodded and set off through the forest, which wasn't as dense in their area as it was when they were in the train. Natsu and Lucy were cursing the people who designed the trains, wondering how they could make such faults while Erza just accepted their situation. However, Laxus and Aoi had a different suspicion in mind.

_When the wheels crashed, _the Lightning mage thought. _I thought I sensed some magic. _In the train, after Aoi had told them everything, Laxus had soon realized that Kazuki would send no less than S-class mages after Aoi. Suddenly, he heard a sound in the trees above them and turned around to see a completely clothed mage there. He raised his staff and shot a beam of purple magic at the group. "EVERYONE," Laxus roared. "WATCH OUT!" This time, Lucy was caught off guard and Erza quickly dragged her out of the magic's reach.

Mystogan jumped from one tree to another, coming into their view. "Well, well," Laxus recognized the man, stepping out of the group. "If it isn't the famous Mystogan himself. The Man With No Face, is it?"

_Fancy name, _Natsu thought. _But that ain't gonna stop me. _He charged towards Mystogan, ready to dish out his Dragon Slayer Magic, when Laxus stopped him with a hand. "You're in the way," Laxus said. "Get back. Take my word for it; he's nothing like the other two we faced. He's in a totally different league." Natsu did as he was told and backed away, disappointed that he wouldn't get to fight Mystogan.

"I've also heard of you," Mystogan said, looking at Laxus. "The grandson of Master Makarov himself. You're going to be a tough opponent to beat." There were many collective gasps as the others' eyes widened at the revelation. _Laxus-taicho is... Gramps' grandson, _Natsu thought, shocked beyond words. The title made quite an impression on Erza too, who immediately changed her mind about Laxus. _Maybe he **can **teach me something,_ she thought before turning her attention to Mystogan. There was something behind the mask that she found familiar but couldn't place her finger on it.

"If you're my opponent," Laxus said, taking off his headphones and putting them in his bag. "I can't afford to hold back." His body crackled with electricity and his bright yellow aura came to life.


	5. Chapter 5

Alright, so things are getting spiced up between Mystogan and Team 7. For those of you that watch Naruto, I hope you like the Fairy Tail version of Team 7 vs. Zabuza. Here's the next chapter!

**Chapter Five:** _Team 7 vs. Mystogan_

"I don't want to fight," Mystogan was saying. "Just hand over the old man to me. In return, I'll pay you more than you're promised."

"Sorry, pal," Laxus said. "I can't do that, even if the offer tempts me greatly."

"Looks like we'll be fighting, then," Mystogan sighed. "I would have liked to avoid this, to be honest."

"Too late now," Laxus growled. "You three, manji formation! Protect the bridge builder at all costs and don't get involved here."

"Your skill in Lightning Magic is well-known," Mystogan stated. "And you've inherited your family's immense Magic power, as well. You know, there are even rumours that you might become one of the Ten Wizard Saints. I'm glad I could have a battle with someone of your calibre." This drew another round of gasps as their impression on Laxus became even greater. _First he's the grandson of the Master, _Lucy thought. _And now, he's a candidate for the Ten Wizard Saints?! _Erza made up her mind to engage in sparring sessions with Laxus while Natsu was similarly awed by the Lightning mage.

"I'm surprised, Mystogan," Laxus smirked. "I didn't think you'd talk this much. I also wonder why you haven't tried to put them to sleep? Maybe you're conserving your power for me? I was always interested in seeing how you look like, Man With No Face." The three mages behind him were confused since they'd never heard of Mystogan's famous Sleep Magic.

"What're you talking about, sensei?" Lucy asked. "What do you mean by 'putting us to sleep'?"

"_Now _I've grown tired of talking," Mystogan said. "It's time for me to kill the old man and take my reward." At that, Natsu, Erza, and Lucy immediately assumed the manji formation around Aoi. Having said that, Mystogan rose into the air and put his staff with the others, on his back. Then, he made a few hand-signs and the whole forest became covered by a dense fog. He himself turned into fog, flowing away. _I guess that's why they call him Mystogan, _Laxus thought.

"H-He vanished," Natsu said, looking around. "That guy turned the air into mist and turned into it!"

"Sensei, who is he?" Lucy asked, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"He's known as Mystogan," Laxus said. "There isn't much we have on him; he's a S-class mage who is hired by many people to do difficult jobs. Mystogan charges quite a high fee and is attracted to money. Nobody knows why he needs the Jewels and neither does anybody know what magic he uses, except that he specializes in Sleep Magic and Air Magic. Because of having such little information, even I can't guarantee that I can beat him, so don't drop your guard." After he said that, the mist soon began to thicken and the fog ran quicker around the area.

It was obvious that Mystogan was using the mist to dampen his senses but Laxus was renowned for his 'lightning-fast' reactions. _For his sake, I hope he knows about that, _Laxus allowed himself a small smile. _Looks like he's getting ready to do his move. _Then, he noticed that Erza was shaking from the tense atmosphere of the situation. Even she, despite having more training than Natsu and Lucy, could get overwhelmed in times like this; where it was the fight between two fully-fledged S-class mages.

_What is this feeling? _Erza thought as she took ragged breaths. _It's as if... I can't breath! One tiny movement could draw his attention and it'll be over in an instant. It's just like that night... _Laxus quickly released a burst of his Magic power, which batted away the mist and the fog cleared considerably. "Erza, listen to me," the Lightning mage said, catching their attention. "Calm down. I will protect all of you with my life, okay? I won't allow my nakama to die; after all, I'm a Fairy Tail mage." His words calmed Erza, her shaking stopped, and the other two also relaxed.

Then, the mist behind Aoi solidified and Mystogan appeared, his staff raised. Laxus transformed into a bolt of lightning, raced across the clearing in the blink of an eye, transformed back and smashed a lightning-covered fist into Mystogan's face. _Now that's what I'm talking about, _Natsu thought as he watched Laxus' action. Then, Mystogan's image flickered and disappeared, causing Laxus' eyes to widen. _A Thought Projection?! _the S-class mage thought when Mystogan appeared behind him.

"Laxus," Erza shouted, surprising Lucy and Natsu. "Behind you!" Laxus quickly turned around but it was too late and Mystogan had already initiated his magic.

"**Five-Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song,**" Mystogan yelled as purple light engulfed Laxus. Above him, five magic seals formed and the jet of purple light extended through each of them. "It's over, Laxus!"

"Oh, is it now?" Laxus smiled, causing Mystogan's eyes to widen. "Don't be so sure. **Lightning Eruption.**" Underneath Mystogan's feet, Laxus' yellow magic seal appeared and the heavily-clothed mage was lifted into the air by lightning. The two mages roared as their magics both exploded; as the smoke cleared, it was revealed that neither of them were even fazed. _So this is a battle between two S-class mages, _Erza thought in wonder as she saw the two mages battle.

"Now, it's my turn," Mystogan said and took the staves off his back, planting them into the ground. "Behold a form of magic never seen before. **Skyscraper.**" Laxus let out a cry of surprise as he catapulted into the air, the forest below him exploding into smithereens. _I-Impossible, _he thought. _T-The whole forest?! _Looking up, the Lightning mage saw a crack appear in the sky, which opened up to reveal a terrifying face with glowing red eyes. Its limbs stretched out and wrapped around Laxus' body, squeezing him tightly. The monster reached out...

"PATHETIC," Laxus roared as his Magic power caused the illusion to burst. "That kind of trick doesn't work on me, Mystogan!"

"As I expected," Mystogan said, smiling under his mask. "But you're too overconfident for your own good, Laxus. I'm one step ahead!"

_Nani?! _Laxus looked down to see Mystogan's magic circle form. The masked mage rose into the air and performed several hand-signs, causing waves of purple magic to shoot out at Laxus. "Is that it?" the Lightning mage smirked as he simply escaped, as a bolt of lightning. Then, Laxus was immediately halted in mid-air and the lightning around him vanished.

"You shouldn't have underestimated me," Mystogan said, raising his stave. "**Four-Layered Magic Circle: Containment.**" Four magic circles, of different colour, appeared around Laxus and the Lightning mage found that he couldn't move. "Didn't you wonder where my other staves are?"

_I see, _Laxus thought as he looked around. _While I was under his illusion, he set up his staves for this spell. _The other four staves were each at the base of a magic circle, keeping up the magic. They were all aligned by Mystogan's primary staff, which he ran his magic through. _What type of magic is this? _Laxus wondered. _He's even more skilled than I thought._

"Now I guess I should deal with your subordinates," Mystogan said, creating a Thought Projection. "Otherwise, capturing Aoi-san is going to be a problem."

"WHAT'RE YOU GUYS WAITING FOR?" Laxus roared at the three. "RUN! We lost this fight when I got captured. You can still escape; he can't contain me and chase you at the same time." Erza and Lucy hesitated, unsure of what to do, while Natsu simply stood up.

"NO WAY," Natsu yelled, surprising all of them. "We can't just abandon you like that. We're Fairy Tail mages and we never leave a nakama behind. ERZA, let's do this!" Erza calmed down, smiling at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. She stood up and joined Natsu, standing with him. Strangely, they didn't even have to say a single word and both of them knew exactly what to do.

"So I guess I have to get fight you," Mystogan's Thought Projection sighed. "Alright, let's do this!"

"Let's go," Natsu roared, igniting his fists. Erza requiped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour, surprising Laxus and Lucy. _Is that another one of her armours? _the blonde girl thought. _I haven't seen this one before. _The Fire Dragon Slayer charged at Mystogan, punching at him. The masked mage easily dodged Natsu's broad swing but the pink-haired boy turned, kicking at him. However, Mystogan dodged the second attack and used the oppurtunity to send Natsu crashing into a tree.

"Not so fast," Natsu yelled, standing up. "**Fire Dragon's Roar.**" He released his signature attack, straight at Mystogan's Thought Projection. _This should get him, _he thought.

"**Three-Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water,**" Mystogan said, making some hand-signs. Three magic circles appeared and Natsu's spell reflected off it, coming back towards him. Natsu panicked, falling to the floor, and wondering what he should do. However, Erza saw this as a chance to use her Sword Magic. She summoned a massive barrage of swords and released them at Mystogan, piercing through the smoke and surprising the masked mage.

"Not bad at all," Mystogan said. "But not enough; **Three-Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water.**" As he was busy doing his hand-signs, Natsu appeared above him, a grin adorning his features. _Get him, Natsu! _Erza thought.

"Hope you didn't forget about me," Natsu said. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" Mystogan turned, a shock look in his eye, but it was too late; Natsu swiped both his hands and everyone literally saw his magic take the shape of a dragon, swinging its wings. The force of the flames burned Mystogan and sent him flying back, causing the Thought Projection to flicker.

"But how?" Mystogan asked, watching the battle. "How did the pink-haired kid appear there?"

"It's simple really," Natsu stood, wiping his mouth. "I simply ate the flames the Thought Projection reflected back at me. Then, using Erza's attack as the distraction, I ganged up behind him and blew him away. No flames work on me!"

"I see," Mystogan said, smiling under his mask. "You made it seem like your attack was the distraction for Erza to do her attack. But _that _was the diversion."

"Exactly," Natsu smiled, his body catching on fire. "And now, it's your turn."

"It was a good strategy," Mystogan said. "But I can just make another Thought Projection!" Having said that, another Mystogan appeared and charged at Natsu, punching him in the gut. Then, Natsu's image flickered and he disappeared, causing Mystogan's eyes to widen. _When did he...? _the masked mage thought as he heard running footsteps behind him.

"When I ate my own attack," Natsu's voice came from behind the real Mystogan, causing the masked mage to whirl around. "Now, eat this: **Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**" The flame-engulfed Natsu flew straight at Mystogan, head-butting him straight in the stomach, pushing him several steps back, and ultimately breaking his magic. Mystogan cocked his hand back to strike the exhausted Natsu when Laxus' muscular hand intercepted his strike, a pissed look on the Lightning mage's face.

"Good job, Natsu," Laxus said, smiling at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. "Excellent teamwork, Erza! Now, leave everything to me, guys; I don't plan on getting caught a second time!" Natsu nodded and backed away, joining Erza, who had requiped into her regular armour. She smiled at him, making him warm on the inside and returned the smile.

"That... wasn't too bad," Erza said, before turning away. "But don't get too used to it, idiot!"

"Yeah, who would want to work with _you_," Natsu scoffed, facing the other direction. Lucy and Aoi laughed awkwardly at the sight with very different thoughts going through their head. _Man, I seriously underestimated these kids, _Aoi thought. On the other hand, Lucy was thinking about how she hadn't even used her Spirits to help the two of them, clenching her teeth.

* * *

Laxus and Mystogan backed away from each other, putting some distance between them. "You can't win, Laxus," Mystogan said. "Your Lightning Magic has met its match and face it, I've got better strategies than you."

"Really?" Laxus smirked. "Then how come a couple of Normal-rank mages got you with their tactics like that ?"

"Be that as it may," Mystogan said, gathering his magic staves and strapping them to his back. "I can't help but wonder how you'll overpower me."

_He's right, _Laxus thought. _It looks like Lightning Magic's not enough to do the job. Then, I guess I have to use **that **magic. _He took a deep breath before bursting into lightning, in a similar fashion to Natsu. In the background, the lightning took the shape of a dragon, slapping venomously against the trees. "He's also a Dragon Slayer?!" Natsu asked incredulously. "I thought I was the only one in Fairy Tail!"

"He uses the same type of magic as Natsu," Erza noted. "What is it exactly?" Lucy nodded, looking at Natsu inquiringly.

"Dragon Slayer Magic," Natsu explained. "Well the name explains everything but it's the only magic that works against dragons. It can only be taught to you by a dragon himself. How can Laxus-taicho use it...?" Lucy went back to looking at the fight while Erza looked at Natsu for a while longer. _How did he learn Fire Dragon Slayer Magic? _Erza thought. It was next to impossible for Natsu to have been in contact with a dragon.

"You're good, Mystogan," Laxus praised. "I have to give it my all to beat you, huh? **Lightning Dragon's Roar.**" Without warning, the Dragon Slayer released a destructive blast of lightning from his mouth at Mystogan. Taken aback, the masked mage tried to negate the spell by shooting a blast of purple energy but Laxus' attack ripped through it, causing Mystogan's eyes to widen. He quickly transformed into mist and dodged it, trying to get away, when...

"Where you going? a voice came from behind Mystogan. He turned and saw Laxus dash at him, cloaked in lightning, head-butting him.

"**Lightning Dragon's Sword Horn,**" Laxus smirked as Mystogan reeled back, retaining his original shape. Then, Mystogan quickly backed away from him before rising into the air and pointing two staves at the blonde Dragon Slayer.

"Let's see how you deal with this," Mystogan roared. "**Six-Layered Magic Circle: Spiral Wave.**" Six magic circles appeared in front of him, from which a spiralling wave of purple light shot out at Laxus with amazing speed. The S-class mage couldn't react in enough time, getting hit with the destructive magic and creating a large crater in the forest. Mystogan panted as his feet touched the floor, exhausted from using up so much of his Magic power. "I told you not to be so sure, didn't I?"

As the smoke cleared, it revealed Laxus on the floor. All three of them were immensely surprised that Laxus had been defeated; _Even with Dragon Slayer Magic, it wasn't enough, _Natsu thought as he saw their leader on the ground. Lucy had her mouth covered with her hands, too shocked for words, while Erza simply had her eyes narrowed, looking carefully at the fallen Laxus.

"Now it's your turn," Mystogan said, looking at them. He'd wasted a lot of magic so he prepared to knock them with out with a single well-placed spell when a shout came from above. They all looked up to see Laxus falling from the canopy of a tree, holding a massive spear of lightning in one hand.

"**Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd,**" Laxus threw his spell like a javelin. With no time to react, the Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic crashed into Mystogan, causing him to drop his staves and be sent flying out the edge of the forest. Not wasting a single second, Laxus transformed into a bolt of lightning and immediately shot out of the forest.

"Come on," Erza said, jumping from tree to tree. "I'm going after them!" Lucy nodded and followed her, leaving Natsu to carry Aoi. _Damn them, _Natsu thought as he hauled the overweight merchant onto his back and set off behind his teammates.

"Didn't you tell me not to get too overconfident?" Laxus mocked, looking at the defeated Mystogan. "You should have checked that I wasn't a Thought Projection!"

"You defeated me fairly," Mystogan said, unable to move due to the numbing effect of lightning. "I got careless at the end. I thought, since you didn't have information on my magic, I had the advantage over you."

"Well," Laxus said, relaxing. "I'm pretty sure you didn't know I was a Dragon Slayer. Looks like you didn't have full information on me either. It was a good fight."

"That it was," Mystogan said, smiling under his mask. "If not, the best fight I've ever fought in."

"You've got two choices, Mystogan," Laxus said. "Either come with us to Fairy Tail or I need to execute you, seeing you're a rogue mage. Preferably the former since we could really use someone at your level. I'm willing to give you a minute to decide but then, you need to give me an answer." Mystogan nodded and Laxus waited, wondering what the masked mage would choose.

"Very well," Mystogan said, causing Laxus to look at him. "I've made my decision. I ch-" He never finished his sentence since, in the blink of an eye, a couple of needles shot towards Mystogan and planted themselves into his neck. Immediately, the masked mage's eyes widened and he stopped moving, a dead look coming into his eyes. Laxus immediately looked up, trying to see where the attack came from.

High in the tree above stood a girl, dressed in a black kimono with white flowers on them. She wore a wolf mask, dark gloves, and a similarly-coloured hat. The girl jumped down from the tree and moved to confront Team 7. Laxus bent down and found that Mystogan's pulse had completely stopped. The other three were gaping at the girl, Lucy in slight awe at her accuracy. "Thank you very much," the girl said, bowing to Laxus. "I was looking for a chance to kill Mystogan."

"Care to explain who you are?" Laxus asked, getting up to face her. "What's your connection with Mystogan?"

"I'm from the guild Southern Wolves," the girl explained. "You might have heard of us; we're a Mercenary guild. And my client has promised me a handsome reward in exchange for Mystogan's life. I've been watching your entire fight with Mystogan and found my opportunity in these last moments."

"Southern Wolves, huh?" Laxus said, looking at her. "It's a shame that you didn't wait until the end of the sentence."

"I purposely didn't," the girl said, smiling under her mask. "I wouldn't want Fairy Tail as an enemy if he had accepted your offer."

"Wise move," Laxus commented, walking back to his team and Aoi. "We have no interest in his body so you can take him without any problems."

"Right," she said, moving to Mystogan and hoisting his body on her back. _From her height and voice, _Laxus thought, _she's obviously around the same age as Natsu and the others. Yet, she's already a mercenary, hunting down S-class mages like Mystogan, huh? _He shook his head, smiling; it would never cease to amaze him how, in so many other guilds, they were ruthless young kids that wielded exceptional power. Unfortunately, it had an unexpected effect on Natsu.

"Just who in the world are you?" the pink-haired Dragon Slayer yelled, glaring at the girl. "How did you do that? How did you kill _Mystogan_ in one shot?!"

"Calm down, Natsu," Laxus said, sighing. "If it helps, she took down Mystogan when he was already weakened by me."

"But still," Natsu said, looking at the blonde. "M-Mystogan was s-so strong and yet, he was taken down by this girl. She's probably not even my age! I can't accept this... we look like freaking idiots, trying to be the best mages we can be!" Erza clenched her fist as she felt the same way; there were so many kids that had monstrous strength, just like _him._ Lucy merely looked down, remembering how she couldn't even help in the fight against Mystogan.

"I understand how you feel, kid," Laxus said, ruffling his pink hair. "But this is reality. In this world, there are mages younger than you... yet stronger than me." At that, their eyes widened since Laxus wouldn't readily admit such a fact, unless it was the truth, given his cocky attitude. Erza tried not to crush the armour around her hand from her anger while Natsu simply scoffed and turned away childishly.

"Your battle is over," the girl said, getting up with the corpse. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." Having said that, her image blurred and she disappeared in an instant. _Teleportation Magic, huh? _Laxus thought as he recognized the type of magic used. _She's quite skilled. But... so are Natsu and Erza. _After their last battle, the pair had managed to impress Laxus greatly with their teamwork and getting past their differences.

"You guys did an amazing job though," Laxus praised, causing Natsu to grin widely and Erza to smile. "I definitely didn't expect that from you. But, our mission hasn't ended yet. We still have to escort Aoi-san to his house in Hargoen, which isn't that far from this forest. Even though we're tired, it's better if we leave by foot."

"Sorry about this, guys," Aoi laughed sheepishly. "But, in the plus column, you can all rest at my house and regain your strength."

"Alright, cheer up and come on," Laxus said, turning around. "We should really get going now!" Having said that, they all started walking towards Hargeon when Laxus suddenly froze and hit the floor, knocked out.

"Whoa!" Natsu said, shaking the blonde. "What just happened? Another enemy?"

"Nope," Erza said, looking around. "There's nobody here except us." She helped Natsu get Laxus up and slung the Lightning mage's arm over her shoulder.

"Forget about going on foot," Lucy said. "We should just take the train. It's probably even repaired by now!" They nodded and walked back into the forest, over to where the train was with Lucy in the lead and Natsu and Erza both hauling the unconscious Laxus between them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: **_The One-Week Training_

_Where am I?_ Laxus opened his eyes and found himself on a foreign bed. _Looks like I overused my Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic._ At that moment, a woman entered the room and walked over to him. "Hello there, beautiful lady," the Lightning mage smirked. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"You drool when you sleep," Akiko, Aoi's daughter, pointed out. Laxus immediately wiped the saliva and felt self-conscious, blushing slightly. "Are you alright, taicho?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Laxus said, staring at the ceiling. "But I won't be moving around for a week and my strength is minimal. Looks like you need to feed me." He smirked at her, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"I didn't think you were the flirting type, taicho," Akiko said, looking at him. "As for feeding you, I wouldn't want to encourage you." She smiled and Laxus whistled, blown away by her joke. It's times like these I hate being a mage, he thought remorsefully when the door was opened.

"Look, guys," Natsu laughed. "He's awake!" They nodded and sat down on a chair, next to the bed.

"What happened, Laxus-sensei?" Lucy asked. "Why did you collapse like that? Was it just because you used up your magic?"

"Not exactly," Laxus said. "You see, I'm not a natural Dragon Slayer; my Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic originates from the Dragon Lacrima implanted in my body. I guess you could call it... a present from someone. But using Dragon Slayer Magic puts a great strain on my body, resulting in this type of scenario." He closed his eyes and thought back to the day, many years ago, when he had received the Dragon Lacrima.

"For a moment there," Natsu said, "I was gonna ask you how you learned it. I thought a dragon taught you."

"It's really hard to come across those types of Dragon Slayers," Laxus said, smiling at Natsu. "Either you learn it through ancient scrolls, like you, or you have Dragon Lacrima implanted into you, like me." Natsu nodded while Erza and Lucy wondered when Natsu had found such a scroll.

"That girl though," Lucy said, causing them to think about the mysterious youth. "She said she was from Southern Wolves. Do you know that guild, sensei?"

"Yeah, it's a Mercenary guild," Laxus said. "There's three types of guilds: Legal, Independent, and Dark. Mercenary guilds are a sub-group of Legal guilds, where they are hired by a client for assassinations and executions, in exchange for large sums of money. To them, it doesn't matter if it's a good or bad deed they do and neither do they care about the reason behind their tasks. In our case, the girl was assigned with the killing of Mystogan."

"Why did she take the body, though?" Lucy asked.

"Well, she needs some proof, right?" Laxus raised an eyebrow at the question. "Whoever hired her won't simply accept her word over it; they need some solid evidence that she killed him, which in most cases equates to bringing his dead body." But Laxus was uneasy about something; despite the fact Mystogan had been taken down, he had a strange feeling inside him that that wasn't the case.

"Are you alright, Laxus?" Erza asked, watching Laxus begin to rub his hair. "I think you need to rest a bit longer-"

"No, I'm fine," Laxus said before his eyebrow ticked. "It's either sensei or taicho to you, Erza. Now, where was I?"

"You were talking about how her client wouldn't just accept her word for it and she would need the dead body," Lucy reminded him. As soon as she told him, it clicked in his brain and Laxus made a victorious fist.

"That's it!" Laxus said, causing the others to ask him about his revelation. "I can't believe it; the whole thing was staged. The girl with the wolf mask, Mystogan 'dying' and her excuse being that she was from a Mercenary guild!"

"Wait a second, Laxus-taicho," Natsu said, scratching his hair. "What're you talking about? Are you telling us that everything was fake?"

"Exactly," Laxus said, a serious look in his face. "We were played. That girl didn't want to execute Mystogan; she wanted to save him! He's probably already awake."

"How can that be?!" Lucy asked, a horrified look on her face. Both Natsu and Erza were equally shocked. "You yourself checked his body and he had no pulse!"

"That's true," Laxus said. "Did you pay attention to how she took him out? Two senbon needles to the neck, which is exactly where a pressure point is located. It was enough to temporarily put Mystogan in a death state, where his heartbeat stopped for a while. Then, using the excuse that she was a mercenary, she used her Teleportation Magic to high-tail it out of there."

"B-But w-wait," Natsu said, drawing their attention to him. "H-How would she know all this stuff about pressure points?"

"Well, it's obvious that we're dealing with someone who specializes in Healing Magic," Laxus answered. "But she's also good at combat, judging by how accurately she threw the needles. It's quite certain that the next time we face Mystogan, he'll bring her along as well. So we need to prepare quickly."

"Prepare quickly?" Lucy asked, somewhat confused. "What do you mean, sensei? It'll take a while before you're fully healed."

"That's true," Laxus chuckled. "But I'll be giving you some... training." The word immediately caught Erza and Natsu's attention, both of whom had witnessed the Lightning mage's power first-hand.

"But you can't really fight, taicho," Natsu pointed out. "How're you gonna train us?"

"I'll be giving all of you some instructions," Laxus explained. "Over the next week, you'll all be pushing yourself beyond your limits and will hopefully be strong enough to do some serious damage to Mystogan's accomplice."

"Okay, Laxus-sensei," Lucy said. "What should I do?"

"Lucy, you're a Celestial Spirit mage," Laxus said, causing her to nod. "The first step for you is to become fluent in summoning your Spirits. It should take you an instant to summon one of them. Then, I want you to understand your Spirits and their magics, which will prove beneficial to you in the following battle." She nodded and headed outside to begin her training.

"Natsu and Erza," Laxus addressed the remaining two. "Over the next week, you'll both be training your magics and while I agree teamwork is the most important concept for a mage, this is one of those scenarios where you have to train your individual skills. I'll have my Thought Projections give you tips from time to time. Now, go and push yourselves beyond your limits; it's the only way you'll succeed." The two of them nodded, gave each other a small glare, before leaving the room. Laxus sighed as he saw their rivalry, bringing back old memories.

* * *

Not far from Hargeon Town, the girl was treating Mystogan's wounds. "It's amazing that you've already come to life," Wendy said, carefully pulling the needles out of Mystogan's neck. "But it'll be a week before you can fully move again. Although, knowing your determination, it'll probably take less time."

"Wendy, that was painful," Mystogan complained. "By the way, how long are you planning on wearing that mask? Take it off."

"I have important memories with this mask," Wendy said, taking it off. "Plus, it was quite useful in tricking those mages. If I hadn't intervened, you would be die by now."

"Putting me in a temporary death state is fine," Mystogan said. "But did you _have to_ target the pressure point in my neck? I think you specifically wanted to be brutal; you enjoy it, don't you?"

"The neck only has a thin layer of muscle," Wendy explained. "It's very easy for the needles to hit the pressure point there. Plus, I know how you hate to get blood on your clothes so I avoided hitting you anywhere on your body."

"Fine," Mystogan said, pouting childishly. "I guess you have a pretty good excuse." Wendy stood up and looked around the forest, noting that the fog was dissipating.

"The mist is clear," Wendy said, before looking at Mystogan. "The next time, will you be alright?"

"Don't worry," Mystogan said, closing his eyes. "Next time, I'll have come up with a perfect strategy for his Dragon Slayer Magic."

* * *

_This is exactly what I need, _Lucy thought as she entered an empty clearing in the forest. Aoi's house was at the edge of Hargeon, so there was quite a large forest that the three of them could use for training. _With this training, I'll impress Erza-san and she'll realize I'm strong! _She blushed as she thought about how Erza would praise her strength. "Lucy," Laxus said, surprising her. "Don't you have some work to do."

"What're you doing here, sensei?" Lucy asked, pointing a finger at him. "You're not supposed to spy on your students."

"Well, this is just a Thought Projection," Laxus said. "So it's not really me. Anyway, I'm supposed to keep an eye on your training and I'll give you tips from time to time. Do you remember what I told you in the house?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "I only have three Celestial Spirit Keys at the moment, though; Taurus, Sagittarius and Cancer. And they're not really that strong."

"That's what you think," Laxus smiled. "Celestial Spirits are very strong; physically, they're stronger than humans. But you need to understand and talk to your Spirits so you can use their full power. Have you ever had a conversation with your Spirits?"

"No," Lucy shook her head. "I usually only use them for combat purposes."

"Exactly!" Laxus face-palmed himself. "You need to become such good friends with them that they can literally read your mind. You need to learn their techniques, lifestyle, culture, contracts, and battle strategies. Plus, you need to be able to summon them even in your dreams. During the mages from Naked Mummy, you were fumbling around with your Keys and if it hadn't been Erza, you would have been brutally massacred."

"Right," Lucy said, understanding Laxus. "I'll work on it, sensei." The Thought Projection nodded before he disappeared.

* * *

Erza found a secluded spot in a clearing. She walked until she stood right in the middle of the unused space. _This is just perfect, _Erza thought. _And they're not here to annoy me. _She clenched her fist as she thought about Mystogan and his accomplice, the young girl. Deciding to begin her training, the red-haired armoured mage requiped into her Black Wing Armour. "Need some help?" Laxus' voice came, causing Erza to turn around. "You look like you need direction."

"Where do I start?" Erza asked. "Tell me how to train properly, Laxus!"

"Right, right," Laxus said. "Well, the first step is to increase your stamina. I suggest you stay requiped into that armour during the whole day so you get more used to it and your Magic power doesn't drain away as easily. Secondly, you should better your fighting skills and magic; the only way you can do that is if you keep training the whole day. Pretend there are imaginary enemies running around, practice your swordsmanship and never stop moving!"

"Should I do this with every armour I have?" Erza asked. "I don't know if one week is enough for that."

"How many armours do you have?" Laxus asked, folding his arms.

"I have three armours at the moment," Erza answered. "Heaven's Wheel, Black Wing, and The Giant."

"In that case," Laxus smiled. "I think there's enough time for you to increase your mastery over your armours. Just distribute your time each day to these three armours and make sure you do it everyday. Make sure you don't requip back unless the day's over and it's time for dinner. Got it?"

"Right," Erza said, turning around. "Thanks, Laxus." The Lightning mage nodded before he disappeared, showing that he was a Thought Projection.

* * *

_Man, I only have a week, huh? _Natsu thought as he sat down on a bench. After the week of training, they would face Mystogan and his partner in combat; while Laxus could probably take Mystogan, Natsu doubted that his current level of power was enough to bring down the girl. She had shown deadly accuracy with weapons, aptitude in Healing Magic, could use Teleportation Magic, and was obviously no slouch since she assisted someone like _Mystogan._ "Deep in thought, Natsu?" Laxus said, causing the pink-haired Dragon Slayer to jump. "That's unlike you. Need some help?"

"Yeah," Natsu admitted, looking up at him. "Do you really think a week is enough to take them on? How do we train, how-"

"Don't worry, Natsu," Laxus smiled. "It's only been a week since you left the Academy yet you're already much stronger. Plus, I'm a Dragon Slayer so I can train you the way I trained myself."

"Alright, now we're talking," Natsu grinned. "So what's the first step, taicho?"

"Hey, calm down," Laxus said. "It's not going to be easy. You, Natsu, have to improve your physical strength; once you do that, your Fire Dragon Slayer Magic will enhance your punches to the point where it hurts. I suggest push-ups, sit-ups, dumbbell curls and chin-ups. Now, because we only have a week, you'll be using my magical dumbbells, which train your body at a higher intensity. And... they also serve another use."

"What's that?" Natsu said, smiling widely. He was quite excited that he would be lifting weights since Makarov had always made a fuss about him doing it before. _NO, _the old man would say. _Kids aren't supposed to go near these things! _But, now that they were on a mission, not to mention that Makarov's grandson himself was suggesting it, Natsu wouldn't be kept away from them for any longer.

"They're magical dumbbells," Laxus repeated. "That means that you're going to have to channel your Magic power through it, to make it work. So this also increases your stamina as well as upper body strength. Now, when you're resting or not doing that, you'll be running laps around this place. This is another way of bettering your stamina, so Dragon Slayer Magic becomes easier. You'll also have to work on refining your fighting style, since that's also very important."

"But how do I make my magic stronger?" Natsu asked. "You haven't told me about that!"

"I only have two things to say about that," Laxus said, holding up his index and middle fingers. "One, you just need to practice. Pretend there's imaginary enemies attacking you and become more comfortable with Dragon Slayer Magic. And two, keep your mind clear and simple. Dragon Slayer Magic originates from dragons, who were primitive and non-complex creatures. To become better with their magic, you need to think like them. But at the same time, fight with your feelings and you'll see that your flames will become stronger."

"Got it!" Natsu said, storing the new information in his mind. "Thanks a bunch, Laxus-taicho!" The Lightning Dragon Slayer simply nodded before flickering away.

* * *

Back at their base, Mystogan was in bed, resting after Wendy had gotten him there. Said girl sat on a chair, next to the bed, staring off into space. Then, the door opened and Kazuki entered with two goons at his sides. "Mystogan," the evil man said, causing Mystogan to look at him. "Some S-class mage you are; first, I prepare such a large reward for you and then, you had to go get yourself beat up?! Aoi's still alive and he's already in Hargeon. Tomorrow, he's going to make an appointment with the Mayor, which was NOT supposed to happen."

"I merely miscalculated," Mystogan said. "I'll annihilate him the next time we fight and-"

"What're you talking about?!" Kazuki growled, walking up to him. "There's no next time! If he goes tomorrow, Aoi will probably be granted speech with the Mayor in around a week! After that, the Rune Knights will immediately be dispatched by the Government and they'll chase to what ends, even I don't know. You've failed the job, Mystogan." When the masked mage didn't respond to him immediately, Kazuki extended his hand towards his mask when...

"Keep your filthy hands off him," Wendy growled as she grabbed Kazuki's hand with astounding strength. The businessman yelled in pain as Wendy twisted his hand, very nearly breaking it. Immediately, Kazuki's bodyguards sprang into action, shooting at Wendy with their magic guns drawn. Surprisingly, the girl managed to dodge their bullets and move up to them, snatching the guns out of their hands and throwing them on the floor. _H-How c-can a l-little girl move that fast? _they both thought at the same time.

"Don't push me," Wendy said through clenched teeth. "I'm in a really foul mood. I'd rather you left now." She glared at them, causing them to step back from the sheer intensity.

"I'm giving you one more chance, Mystogan," Kazuki shouted, opening the main door. "If you don't manage to kill Aoi in a week's time, I'm gonna cut you off and you're not going to get a single coin from me. Keep that in mind!" Having said that, the three of them marched away, closing the door behind them loudly to signify that they were upset.

"Wendy, that wasn't necessary," Mystogan said after a pause. "I could have easily taken him out with a single punch."

"That's true," Wendy said, sitting down. "But we still need the money from Kazuki. The number of mercenaries after your life isn't decreasing and the money to bribe them has to come from somewhere, right? Now, you need your rest."

"Right," Mystogan closed his eyes, letting thoughts drift in his mind. Before he had adopted the notion of covering his face, many people had thought he was Earthland's Jellal, who was a notorious criminal and had a massive bounty on his head. Therefore, they hired mages from Mercenary guilds to go after him and Mystogan would always bribe them by paying them more than they were promised, securing his life. Unfortunately, this was the still the case, even after the years had gone by.

* * *

"Are they still training?!" Lucy asked incredulously. It was late in the afternoon and they were all preparing for dinner. Lucy and Akiko had been setting the plates and glasses while Laxus and Aoi had been talking politics when Lucy made the observation. Throughout the whole day, neither Natsu nor Erza had been seen and they hadn't stopped by for lunch either. On the other hand, Lucy had already thrown in the towel several hours before.

Meanwhile, out in the woods, Natsu and Erza were both panting exhaustedly as the day's exercises finally took their toll on them. Natsu had aching muscles all over his body and his legs ached all over. It also happened to Erza, although to a much lesser extent as she wasn't as focused on physical strength as Natsu. Instead, she had blurred vision and she felt dizzy from practising her fighting. _I have to keep going, _she thought and got back to her feet. At that moment, Erza immediately heard another explosion to her right, showing that Natsu was already on his feet.

_I won't lose to Erza, _Natsu thought. He hurled a large barrage of fireballs, which levelled many trees, and wrecked the clearing further. Erza clenched her teeth and immediately requiped into her Heaven's Wheel, beginning to summon a large herd of swords. She quickly launched them at the trees, cutting them down and causing them to topple upon each other. After giving them the instructions, Laxus hadn't checked up on them since the shouts and re-occurring blasts of magic proved that Natsu and Erza were still training.

"I'll go and get them," Laxus said, slowly getting up. He entered the forest and had only walked a few dozen meters when he saw Natsu sprawled on the floor. "NATSU, GET UP! It's time for dinner."

"Already?" the Drgon Slayer got up, rubbing his head. "I still need to train! We've only got a week."

"I know that," Laxus said calmly. "But destroying your body is not training. Plus, you need the food or you won't get any of the nutrients. That'll simply lead to you not getting stronger AT ALL."

"Right," Natsu said, getting up. "Alright, taicho, I'll do as you say." He jogged at a relative pace back to the house, while Laxus simply smiled at the pink-haired boy's eagerness for training. _Now, for Erza, _the Lightning mage thought and with the aid of his crutches, moved towards Erza's location. Similar to Natsu, he found her lying on the floor, panting heavily and her Black Wing Armour vanished.

"Dinner time, Erza," Laxus called. "Let's go." Unlike Natsu, Erza simply nodded and made her way towards the house. However, given her experience with training, Laxus wasn't surprised that she understood the importance of eating and regaining her strength. _They'll both grow up to be really strong someday, _the Lightning Dragon Slayer thought. Then, Laxus limped back to the house, cursing his lack of speed.

* * *

Natsu and Erza both furiously chowed down on their food. They immediately finished two servings of rice with lamb stew, glaring at each other while doing it. "I WANT SOME MORE," they chorused, raising their plates together before engaging in another stare-war. Then, due to eating so quickly, they both doubled back and began to cough, threatening to vomit the food. A vein popped in Lucy's head and she shook her fist at the two.

"Don't eat that much if you're just gonna puke it all up," Lucy roared at them. "What's the hurry, anyway?"

"I _have_ to eat," Erza said, wiping her mouth. "It's the only way I can continue my training!"

"And I have to eat more than her," Natsu said, looking back at the red-haired mage. "It's the only possible way I can train longer than her." He drank some water, causing the food to go down to the bottom of his gullet. Erza soon followed, growling that Natsu had done it before her. The pink-haired mage simply smirked at her, which she frowned at.

"That's true," Laxus said, nodding his head. "But if you puke it all up, it's not going to help in the slightest." At that, the two decided to not be impatient and eat their food, normally and enjoy it. Akiko just chuckled at the two, remembering how she and her husband, Riko, had been when they were kids. Despite loving each other, they would compete in almost everything.

Lucy finished first and she decided to pace about. She eventually saw a family photo hanging on the wall, which had Aoi, Akiko, and another man whose face had been torn out. "This is quite a nice picture," Lucy said, drawing their attention to it. "But someone's been ripped out; who is it?" The table became deathly silent for a minute before Akiko answered solemnly.

"It's my husband," she answered. "Didn't Dad tell you about him?"

"My son, Riko," Aoi spoke up, causing Laxus to recall their conversation in the train. "One of the first victims of Kazuki and his man, Bora. It was the first time he had come to this town to spread his business. Little did we know that he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. Things were so different back then. There was much more food, freedom, and everybody was less tense. Now..."

"Tell us about it," Laxus said, leaning back. "Many times, it helps to let everything out, you know."

"What can I say," Aoi took a sip of his drink. "Riko wasn't my actual son; he came to Hargeon about three years ago. Like many people here, he was a sailor and his passion was to go around Fiore, trading goods. He was hailed a hero and he never gave up; even when the odds were against him. One day, there was a heavy storm and the flood gates had opened up, the water level rising every second. Without a second of hesitation, Riko arrived at the scene and jumped into the water, fighting against the heavy current with every ounce of strength he had. With his great determination, he managed to get to the gates and with the support of the people, Riko managed to seal the flood gates."

"Wow, that's amazing," Laxus said, smiling. "The world needs more people like that."

"Indeed," Aoi said. "Ever since that, Riko was hailed as a hero and managed to garner the admiration of Akiko, my daughter. They began to meet up and soon became romantically involved, which soon evolved into marriage. I felt so proud at the time; the man who had taught Hargeon courage was my son-in-law! Not to mention he loved playing cards, which I had a knack for as well. Almost for a whole year, Hargeon Town was peaceful and at our peak... until Kazuki showed up."

"This was around two years ago, right?" Laxus asked, earning a nod from Aoi. "Reports show that Kazuki came to power not long before. There was no way Hargeon could resist him."

"That's true," Aoi said. "And nobody did... except for Riko. He proved to be a thorn in Kazuki's side and would occasionally take the help of his friends to burn down Kazuki's drugs and free his prisoners. But even he couldn't fully escape Kazuki; after many months of trying, Kazuki's gang finally managed to capture Kazuki and brought him to an abandoned warehouse the same night. And then... they killed him brutally, cutting off his limbs and throwing them in the garbage. He would later shut the mouths of the people who noticed with money or threaten them; ever since Riko was murdered by Kazuki, Hargeon's become his town and the people have lost all their courage, once again."

Natsu immediately shot up, all his pain forgotten. "I'm going to burn down the bastard," he roared as his hands caught fire. "He and his gang will pay! I'm going to make him suffer for what he did to this town." Stumbling forward, the pink-haired Dragon Slayer marched off towards the door when Laxus' voice interrupted him.

"Natsu, you have two choices," Laxus said. "Either you go after Kazuki now and with those injuries, even your magic won't be enough to neutralise him. Or the second option is that you wait for Aoi-san to present his evidence against Kazuki to the Mayor, who will simply call the Government and the Rune Knights will be after Kazuki. This will take a little more than week. What do you prefer?"

"Right," Natsu said, sitting back down. "It's just... I hate not doing anything." Erza and Lucy both looked down, the feeling being mutual.

"I know what you mean, Natsu," Laxus said. "I also don't like it but there's nothing else we can do at this point. You just have to be patient and focus on your training."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: **_Mystogan Returns! Team 7 vs. Team Mystogan - Part 1_

While the rest of Team 7 had been sleeping, Natsu had gone outside and continued training. He had trained for countless hours before sleep overtook him, causing him to fall himself in the forest. Now, in the morning, the others were beginning to realize that he had left in the night. "The kid's not here," Aoi noticed. "Looks like he was out all night."

"He's gone completely crazy," Lucy said, rubbing her eyes. "How can he train in the dark? You can't even see the floor. He could be dead by now, from using up all of his Magic power."

"Well, I certainly hope he's NOT dead," Akiko said, giving them some sandwiches. "A child like him spending the night in the woods, all alone? That's definitely not going to get him stronger."

"Trust me, he's not dead," Laxus said, causing them to look at him. "Natsu's a goofy kid but even he has the sense to not completely use up his strength. He's probably sleeping in the woods." A few seconds after that, Erza simply finished her sandwich and headed outside to take a walk. Lucy looked inquiringly at her while Laxus simply watched her go.

* * *

One of Wendy's hobbies was to take walks in the forest, where she liked breathing the fresh air and look at the birds. Mystogan had allowed her to go to the forest, telling her to be back in an hour. Changing into a pink kimono and taking off her hat, Wendy eventually left to the forest, arriving there in a few minutes since Wendy had enhanced her speed with magic.

She began walking there, taking in the fresh air, and a bird flew onto her shoulder. It stared at her for a second before flying off, causing Wendy to spot Natsu on the floor. The pink-haired boy had numerous bruises and scratches on his body, a result of his rigorous training. There were a few birds on his body, pecking him lightly with their beaks. In a second, Wendy immediately recognized him as the Fire Dragon Slayer who had fought Mystogan, freed Laxus from the former's binding spell, and then later yelled at her in frustration.

_Should I kill him? _Wendy thought as she walked towards the sleeping mage. If she killed Natsu now, that would be one less adversary for her and Mystogan. But Wendy had never been the type for assassinations and murders; in fact, she tried to avoid fighting if she could help it, something which irked her partner at times. Going by that, the girl decided not to kill him and instead, shook his shoulder. "Wake up," Wendy said firmly. "You'll catch a cold if you lie here." However, the mage was so warm that she doubted that would happen.

"WHAT?!" Natsu immediately shot up, looking around. "Oh, sorry, I thought I was being attacked." He smiled at the little girl, who simply nodded her head.

"I didn't mean to alarm you," Wendy said. "But there are a lot of wild animals, not too far from here. You shouldn't really be sleeping here."

"Don't worry about that," Natsu grinned, showing his emblem to her. "I'm from Fairy Tail. Simple animals aren't strong enough to get me." They began to walk together, which felt strange for Natsu since she was only a little taller than Romeo.

"So you're a mage then?" Wendy asked, pretending to be a civilian. "What's it like being a mage?"

"Well, it all depends on the job," Natsu said, thinking of his current mission. "There's several quests that are really fun and all but there's several that are just a waste of time." _Like those stupid jobs that Gramps was giving us, _the Dragon Slayer thought inwardly.

"But what were you doing out here?" Wendy asked, looking at him curiously. "You seemed really tried and worn out."

"That's true," Natsu said. "You see, I was training when I fell asleep. It's really hard work!"

"Oh, I get it," Wendy said thoughtfully. "But what are you preparing for? Is it something dangerous?"

"Not really," Natsu cracked his knuckles. "I'm just trying to develop my skills and become a stronger mage in general."

"I see," Wendy stretched her hands. "But you already seem really strong. Do you still have to train?"

"Of course," Natsu said. "I need to get really strong so I can become the Guild Master! That's my dream."

"That's going to be hard," Wendy said. "Are you also trying to get stronger for a specific somebody? So you can protect them?"

"Well, I guess I'm trying to get stronger for the people that looked down on me," Natsu said, thinking of Erza and Lucy. "I want to prove to them that I'm going to be greater than them someday. But I've never really wanted to get stronger so I can protect anyone..." _That's probably because there's nobody I care about that needs protecting, _the pink-haired Dragon Slayer thought.

"Okay," Wendy said, sitting down a bench, causing Natsu to follow shortly. "I believe that if you have someone precious to you, who you want to protect at all costs; then, you can become genuinely stronger. Do you know what I mean?" Natsu was immediately reminded of Riko's words, from Aoi's story, shortly followed by Laxus when they were fighting Mystogan and eventually, back to when Macao had taken Bora's attack for him.

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean," Natsu smiled. "Gee, I guess I never really thought about it that much." Wendy also smiled and got up, walking away from Natsu.

"Don't worry," Wendy said to Natsu. "I can sense that you'll become really strong. I'll see you around later, okay?" She waved a hand while Natsu also shouted his bye to her. _I liked that conversation, _he thought as he also got up, the smile still on his face. _YOSH, time to get started on training! _Natsu immediately ran off towards his training space.

* * *

"They're doing it again!" Lucy said as she sat down to dinner. "This is the fifth time in a row, Laxus-sensei! They can't keep doing this." Natsu and Erza had both been training late over the past few days. They had really gotten to the training regime and were trying desperately to push their body beyond its limits, with that night being the last before they would have to rest in order for their muscles to heal before Monday.

"I know, Lucy," Laxus said, eating a rice ball. "But you know this is the last day for them to improve. I'd say staying out a bit late is good." This caused both Akiko and Lucy to stare disbelievingly at Laxus, while Aoi simply sighed. Back when he was an adolescent, Aoi had been quite slim and lean, sporting many muscles. He had worked out at the gym almost the entire day so Aoi knew how taxing the whole process could be.

"They won't be out for much longer, I'm sure," Aoi said, looking pointedly at Laxus and calming Akiko. "Now, back to topic; on Monday, I'll be going to the Mayor and Mystogan is bound to appear. Do you have some plan for that encounter?"

"Oh, it's really simple," Laxus said. "Me, Erza, and Natsu will take care of Mystogan and his partner. Lucy will stay with you, in case Kazuki decides to send his gang after you. Then, you'll be able to deliver your documents to the Mayor and all will go accordingly."

"That's good to hear," Aoi said. "Now, I've got another question for you. Why did you decide to help me? Even after, I'd lied to you about the nature of this job."

"It just didn't feel right to leave you," Laxus said. "In Fairy Tail, we're taught to think about others, as much as ourselves. After hearing about Hargeon's problem, I decided that we'd help you. So, don't worry; we'll still charge you the original price." Aoi nodded, giving him his thanks once again. Back in the woods, Erza was lying on the floor in exhaustion when Natsu found her there.

_How can he still keep going? _Erza thought, shocked. She and Natsu had both begun at the same time yet he was still standing, looking fresher than her. "What're you doing here, idiot?" the red-haired armoured mage thought, embarrassed. She got up and made her way slowly over to the pink-haired Dragon Slayer, her vision spinning as she moved.

"Just wanted to tell you that it's time for dinner," Natsu scoffed. "That's all." He turned around and began to walk away when Erza let out a gasp, falling to the ground. Natsu quickly caught her and raised an eyebrow as he saw Erza breathing hard. "Hey, uh, are you alright?"

"Does it look like I'm alright, Natsu?" Erza asked. "I'm too tired to move and my muscles hurt like hell."

"Do you think I'm fine?" Natsu shouted. "I've been lifting weights and working out; my muscles feel like they're getting stabbed." Like always, Erza simply scoffed and turned her head away, not wanting to argue with the stubborn boy. Her cheeks were pink as she considered asking for help in going back to the house.

"By the way... Natsu," Erza said, looking meaningfully at Natsu. "Can you, uh, help me get back?" Natsu was astounded for a second before he smiled, realizing that it was the first time Erza had asked him for help.

"Does _the _Erza need help, huh?" Natsu teased, causing Erza to glare at him. "Alright, alright; I was just joking. I'll help ya!" He slung her arm over his shoulder and helped her up, groaning at the weight of her armour and causing his bruised muscles to cry out in pain. They slowly began to walk towards the house, both quite uncomfortable at being so close to each other.

"Natsu," Erza said, causing him to look at her. "Do you think this training's gonna help us against them?"

"Of course it will!" Natsu exclaimed. "Even though we only had a week, we trained like hell the last five days. The next time we're gonna take Mystogan down for sure and I'll personally fight his partner."

"Hey, I also want a crack at her," Erza said, smiling at Natsu's optimism. "But the thing is that I don't feel any stronger. If anything, the training's taken a lot out of me."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Natsu said. "But we've gotta trust Laxus-taicho; he wouldn't recommend this training to us if we wouldn't get stronger, right? I think we just need to rest up and then, we'll feel stronger than ever." Erza was stunned at how wise and supportive Natsu sounded, very much unlike the pink-haired brat that simply liked to challenge her to fights that he never won. _I guess you've really grown, Natsu, _she thought.

After a few more seconds, they reached the house where Natsu opened the door and led Erza in. "NATSU," Lucy screamed, nearly deafening him. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"Erza's also been out," Laxus reminded her. "You two, go upstairs and freshen up. We've all finished our dinners so we're heading to bed. Be quick since you need your rest!" Having said that, Laxus and Aoi retired to their bedrooms while Lucy helped Akiko with cleaning the dishes. After drinking some water, both Natsu and Erza headed upstairs, washed their faces, and put on their pyjamas before going downstairs again to have dinner.

As they ate in silence, Lucy and Akiko finished with the dishes. "Okay, I'm also going to bed," Akiko said. "Goodnight!" They wished her goodnight and Lucy took a seat at the dining table, watching as Natsu wolfed down his food while Erza ate at a slow pace.

"Only two days left," Lucy said, scratching her chin. "Do you think we're strong enough to handle them?"

"Don't worry!" Natsu smirked. "After all we've trained, Mystogan and the fake Southern Wolves mage shouldn't be that hard."

"How can you be so calm, Natsu?" Lucy chided. "Aren't you worried about them? We need to come up with a plan."

"Nah, it'll be fine," Natsu said. "I can tell you've gotten a lot stronger than before. Just wait until me and Erza heal!"

"Alright, then," Lucy smiled, turning to mush at the compliment. Then, she realized that it was the first time she had a conversation with Natsu without getting annoyed at him or chasing him about. _Gosh, I guess he's really maturing, _Lucy thought, impressed. Meanwhile, Erza had been listening to their conversation with growing jealousy and quickly got up, leaving her dish at the sink and going to her room without a single word.

"Man, what's her problem?!" Natsu growled, standing up again. "We didn't even do anything!"

"Don't talk about Erza like that," Lucy said. "She's tired and that usually tends to put you in a bad mood, Natsu."

"Yeah, you're right," Natsu sighed, sitting back down. "I guess that's why I overreacted." Lucy was stunned again; the brash, loud-mouthed boy she had studied with at the Academy would _never _admit his mistakes and listen to others. _He's definitely grown a lot, _the blonde thought. She had also begun to feel Natsu's presence, every time he would enter the room, which was completely the opposite back at the Academy.

Natsu finished his meal and emptied his glass of water, standing up. He walked over to the sink and washed his plate, setting it onto the rack. "Come on, Lucy," he called to the blonde. "It's getting late and we need to rest!" Having said that, Natsu walked up the stairs to his room, which he shared with Laxus and Aoi. Lucy decided to drink a little bit of water before she went to her own room, which she shared with Erza and Akiko.

* * *

Two days later, it was finally Monday and everybody was ready, except for Natsu. "I'll leave him to you," Laxus said, regarding the pink-haired mage. "He should wake up after a while and come after us. We should be enough for Mystogan and the girl." Erza and Lucy were fully-rested, their Magic power at the peak and newfound strength surging though their limbs.

"What about you guys, though?" Akiko inquired. "Don't you think you should rest a little more?"

"They would if there was time," Aoi ranted. "I need to be at the Mayor's in one and a half hours. I can't be late!"

"Right," Lucy said, smiling at Akiko. "Don't worry, Akiko-san, we'll be fine." Having said that, they left the house and made their way towards the Mayor's Office. It was located near the end of Hargeon, not very far from the port, and it was surrounded by a cluster of houses and apartments. A little bit further from this ring, there was a giant plaza where kids usually played games in the evening. Laxus had a suspicion that Mystogan would attack them here, since he should also be fully rested by the time.

* * *

"Isn't it time for you to go, Mystogan?" Kazuki asked impatiently. "You've got one and a half hours to execute Aoi. Or if you manage to make him miss the appointment with the Mayor, you'll have a lot more time to kill him. Either of the two works for me."

"You don't need to worry about all that," Mystogan said, strapping his staves to his back. "This time, I'll finish the job and he'll be dead by the end of the day. You just need to keep my 10,000,000 Jewels ready for me." Next to him, Wendy was dressed in her original attire, wearing a black kimono, her Southern Wolves mask, a black hat, and sandals.

"Yeah, it's waiting back at base," Kazuki smiled. "But if you failthis time, you're not getting a single Jewel. Got it?!" Instead of answering, Mystogan simply broke into mist, dissipating away. A second later, Wendy vanished in a flash, using her Teleportation Magic. Once they were gone, Kazuki's evil grin appeared; he had absolutely no intention of paying Mystogan and intended to finish the latter off once the Fairy Tail mages weakened him enough for Kazuki's goons to take care of the job. _In that case, _Kazuki chuckled to himself. _I'll even get the bounty on his head!_

* * *

Around fifteen minutes later, Team 7 and Aoi came towards the plaza when shock hit them. "W-What h-happened here?" Aoi asked. Several shops lay desecrated at the side of the road with a few early-risers also having to pay, lying knocked out on the road. Then, mist began to flow across the plaza, immediately causing the mages to tense and realize who they were dealing with. _So I was right, _Laxus thought. _Mystogan's still alive..._

"Hello there, Laxus," Mystogan's voice rang out through the mist. "I've come for a little rematch. Looks like you've still got those kids with you. And the red-haired one's still shaking... How disappointing." Laxus and Lucy noticed that Erza was shaking again, her armour making clicks and tiny sounds. Suddenly, the mist cleared to reveal four Mystogan surrounding them.

"Show them, Erza," Laxus said, as he saw the expression on her face. Lucy turned to see Erza... smiling. The four Mystogans raised an eyebrow at Erza's smirk before going in for the kill. In the blink of an eye, the armoured mage summoned a sword and cleaved through them, causing their images to flicker and disappear. Laxus smiled at Erza's action while Lucy's eyes widened, noting how much she had improved.

"I think you misunderstood," Erza said, looking up. "I was trembling... in excitement. Now, show yourself!" Her voice penetrated through the mist and after a few seconds, Mystogan and Wendy's figures appeared.

"She's improved since last time," Mystogan noticed. "Looks like you have a rival, Wendy. Why don't you show some of your moves, now?"

"Right," Wendy said, her Magic circle appearing. "**Arms x Armour x Vernier.**" A green glow appeared around her body before she towards Erza, darting from side to side with amazing speed. The armoured mage narrowed her eyes, trying to follow Wendy and held out her sword. Then, she quickly stepped out to the right and slashed at Wendy, her sword clashing against the girl's dagger. Mystogan's eyes widened slightly as he realized that Erza could keep up with Wendy despite the latter using her Vernier spell.

"You can still back down," Wendy said, causing Erza to raise an eyebrow. "We only want the merchant. If you turn him in, I won't have to kill you."

"Is that right?" Erza smirked. "You speak as if you can kill me whenever you want! Save your breath!"

"Well, I tried," Wendy said. Without warning, she immediately backed away, causing Erza to stumble forward. "**Sky Dragon's Roar.**" Everybody gasped in surprise as Wendy released a massive blast of rotating wind at Erza. _Another Dragon Slayer?! _Laxus thought in shock. Before Natsu had come along, he had been under the belief that he was the only Dragon Slayer alive.

"**Requip,**" Erza shouted before she was clad in her Heaven's Wheel Armour. She shot into the air, avoiding Wendy's attack, which caused a minor explosion in the background. She summoned a massive barrage of swords and launched them at Wendy, who managed to roll off to the side and evaded them. She was caught off-guard when Erza appeared behind her, having requiped into her Black Wing's Armour. She slashed at Wendy, who managed to barely dodge before Erza kicked at her, which pushed her back towards Mystogan.

_Looks like she's been improving her physical strength, as well, _Laxus thought. _Maybe Natsu's training had some influence on hers. _"You shouldn't have underestimated these kids, Mystogan," the Lightning Dragon Slayer chided. "Erza here is one of the strongest young fighters in Fairy Tail! And Lucy here is our sharp and inquisitive mind. And of course, last but not least, is Natsu; he's the Salamander of Fairy Tail!"

"Hey, Wendy," Mystogan said, looking pointedly at her. "If you keep going like this, we'll be the victims instead of them. How about you get serious?!"

"As you wish," Wendy answered, getting up. She walked towards Erza, a light-blue aura surrounding her. "I'm sorry it's come to this. **Sky Dragon's Roar!**" It immediately became apparent to Team 7 that Wendy had been holding back her power. Her Dragon's Roar was much faster and larger as it shot towards Erza with maddening speed. Erza's sword vanished and she summoned two axes to her hands before shooting them at Wendy's attack. However, all it did was slow Wendy's attack for a few moments before the axes were destroyed and the wave continued towards Erza.**  
**

"**Requip,**" Erza yelled, requiping into her Giant's Armour. She shot her lance like a projectile at the beam, pushing with all her force. However, the result was similar to the previous time and her lance was disintegrated by the attack. Erza quickly dodged to the right but not before the entire left side of her armour was destroyed, with Erza's arm suffering burns and bruises.

"**Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang,**" Wendy said, her palm covered by her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic. _With this and Arms, _she thought. _She doesn't stand a chance! _Wendy dashed towards her, hand cocked back to strike. Cursing, Laxus moved to help the red-haired mage but the mist in front of him took shape and Mystogan appeared, his arms up.

"You're not going anywhere," Mystogan said. "Your fight's with me!" Laxus clenched his teeth and prepared to use his Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic but it was already too late. Erza tried to dodge Wendy but her injuries distracted her, giving Wendy enough time to slap her magic-enhanced hand into Erza's right side, completely destroying the Giant's Armour and giving Erza another set of wounds, pushing her back. As Wendy covered her other palm in wind and cocked it back, Lucy decided to step in action.

Sagittarius quickly shot three arrows at Wendy, causing her to stop her attack and move back to avoid the arrows. This gave Erza enough time to requip into her Black Wing Armour and back away from Wendy, flinching at her injuries. "Thanks, Sagittarius," Lucy said while the archer merely accepted her thanks with a -moshi-moshi before disappearing. Erza also thanked Lucy, causing the blonde to blush and feel proud that she'd saved Erza for once.

"Don't worry, guys," Erza reassured. "I'm completely ready for her Dragon Slayer Magic!"

"As if," Mystogan snorted. "Wendy, now!" He turned his head slightly at the girl, causing her to immediately nod and get on with their plan.

"Right," Wendy said, raising her arms. "**Arms x Armour x Vernier.**" However, instead of herself, Mystogan gained the green glow as Wendy's magic surrounded the masked mage, augmenting his physical capabilities. After that, she turned her attention back to Erza while Mystogan and Laxus took on each other. Catching the signal from the Lightning mage, Lucy took Aoi and they hurried towards the Mayor's Office.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: **_Team 7 vs. Team Mystogan - Part 2_

Natsu awoke to the sound of Akiko's screaming. _What the hell is going on here? _he thought as he shot upright in bed. Then, Natsu growled in anger as he realized that his team hadn't woken him up and had already left to face Mystogan. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer quickly rushed to the window, where he saw the scene unfold with growing horror. Two tall and muscular men were taking a tied-up Akiko with them, smiling crookedly at each other. _They're Kazuki's men, _he realized. _So they're taking her as a hostage or something._

The Fire Dragon Slayer felt stronger than ever, his limbs feeling newfound strength coursing through them. Natsu opened the window before launching himself towards the two. "Hey, bozos," he roared, causing them to look in his direction. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn.**" Covered in flames, Natsu headbutted one of them in the gut, sending him flying back dozens of feet before crashing into the ground, making a crater. His partner faltered for a second before positioning his gun at Akiko's head.

"If you come any closer, I'll blow her head off," the goon said. "Now, be a good boy and let me go!" He began to edge away while Natsu glared at him, making him think that he was going to let the man get away. By this time, Akiko had already lost her conscience, becoming limp in the man's arms.

"You know, people like you and your boss," Natsu said before getting into action, "make me sick!" The pink-haired boy kicked at the brute's hand, sending the weapon flying from his hand before he could shoot. Then, Natsu slammed a flame-engulfed left fist into his face, breaking his jawbone and knocking him out from the pain. He quickly picked Akiko up and took her back to the house, setting her on her bed. He untied the rope binding her and ripped off her gag, scowling at Kazuki's methods.

_Dammit, they should have woken me up! _he cursed as he got ready, changing out of his pyjamas. After quickly brushing, Natsu went downstairs and grabbed one of Akiko's sandwiches before leaving the house. He soon took to the rooftops of the houses so that finding his team would become easier. Immediately, a large cloud of mist and magic attacks towards the end of town caught Natsu's attention and he headed off towards it, trying to be as quick as possible without tiring himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Erza couldn't seem to get Wendy on any occasions while she had already gotten several wounds on Erza. The red-haired mage quickly requiped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour and summoned a pair of swords. _Air Magic is weak to Sword Magic, _Erza thought, remembering the classes at the Academy. She quickly charged towards Wendy, who released wave of wind, which Erza tried to cleave through. Then, as She tried to cut the attack, Erza's sword shattered into pieces and Wendy used the opportunity to jump into the air and yell, "**Sky Dragon's Wing Attack.**"

She swung both her arms, summoning two massive gusts that broke through Erza's armour and sent her crashing to the floor. "My magic isn't like Air Magic," Wendy said, returning to the floor. "While it does manipulate the elements of the sky, it wreaks destruction and chaos; it is the power of the Sky Dragon! Your swords can't cut through that!"

Erza coughed up some blood before slowly getting to her feet. _She's younger than me! _the armoured mage thought. _How can she be so powerful?! _Erza charged at Wendy and made a delta formation with her swords. "Take this!" she roared. "**Trinity Sword!**" Wendy quickly backed away before using Vernier and her lithe figure to jump over Erza's head, causing the latter's spell to miss and destroy a large section of the plaza.

"It's time to finish this," Wendy said, causing Erza to turn around before backing away. "**Sky Dragon's Roar.**" Unlike the last two times, Wendy infused more Magic power into the attack, causing the large vacuum blast to grow to an even larger proportion. Despite its power, Erza tried to block it but the blast caught her before continuing onwards to the shops, destroying them and causing large slabs of the ground to overturn. As the smoke cleared, it revealed Erza's bloody shape falling to the floor, her armour completely gone and her clothes in rags.

* * *

"She's finished, you know," Mystogan said. "Wendy's nearly mastered Sky Dragon Slayer Magic. You yourself know first hand how destructive the magic can be, even at her age." Laxus thought worried about Erza, wondering if she could take Wendy on. Mystogan merely smiled as he saw the distressed expression on Laxus' face.

"Looks like I need to finish this quickly," Laxus said, covering himself in lightning. "**Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd.**" He created a spear of lightning and released it at Mystogan, expecting it to be too quick for Mystogan to react to. However, due to Wendy's Vernier spell, Mystogan saw the spell move much slower than in their first fight, and managed to dodge it. Laxus raised an eyebrow and thought back to Wendy casting her spell on Mystogan. _Was that an enhancement spell? _he thought.

"You shouldn't be distracted, Laxus," Mystogan said, rising into the air. He shot a blast of purple light at Laxus but the Lightning Dragon Slayer covered his left hand in lightning, going on to punch at the blast. However, unlike last time, he quickly found that he couldn't punch through Mystogan's spell; the masked mage disappeared as mist before re-appearing behind Laxus, kicking him in the face and sending him flying backwards. _So that __**was **__an enhancement spell, _Laxus thought in frustration. It appeared that Mystogan was now back to his level. _This is gonna take some time. Hang in there, Erza!_

* * *

Wendy shook her head at the sight before turning around to head after Aoi and Lucy. Then, she detected a presence behind her and turned around to see a boy, who had caught Erza. _It's him! _she thought as their meeting in the forest came to her mind. _Where was he until now?! _Natsu had arrived to see a badly burned and injured Erza falling to the floor. "ERZA!" the pink-haired Dragon Slayer exclaimed, shaking the red-haired armoured mage. "HEY, GET UP!"

"You're... still so a-annoying," Erza's voice piped up quietly. "E-Even... now... you l-loud-mouthed i-idiot."

"Why?" Natsu asked, his eyes shaded. "Why did you try to take it? WHY DIDN'T YOU TRY TO DODGE IT!"

"I... don't know... either," Erza answered while tears fell from Natsu's eyes. "My body... moved on it's o-own... accord, g-got it?"

"NO, NOT YET," Natsu , hugging her. "You can't die yet, Erza! Don't die on me!"

"I'm sorry, Natsu," Erza said solemnly. "Take her... down... for me, okay? S-She's also a D-Dragon Slayer." Then, she leaned in and whispered something in Natsu's ear, causing his eyes to widen. Then, the Fire Dragon Slayer slowly got up and wiped his eyes with his hand. He began walking towards Wendy, his steps sounding hollow but strong at the same time.

"Is that the first time you lost somebody?" Wendy asked. "This happens all the time in the world of mages and guilds. _This _is the path we follow!"

"SHUT UP," Natsu roared, erupting into flames. "ERZA... WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE. YOU TOOK HER FUTURE. SHE... SAID SHE BELIEVES IN ME!" The flames kept rising while Natsu's pupils seemingly vanished. The mist diluted greatly around him as his flaming aura brushed it off, causing Wendy to marvel at the Fire Dragon Slayer's immense Magic power. _Is he even human? _Wendy thought as she saw the monstrous release of energy. _Just who exactly is he?!_

Natsu charged towards Wendy with amazing speed, catching her by surprise. "**Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang,**" Wendy yelled as she tried to slap Natsu. But the Fire Dragon Slayer dodged her attack before slamming a flame-enhanced knee at her face, which Wendy blocked but was sent flying back. She eventually stopped herself but looked up to see Natsu, who had materialized in the air.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu shouted and breathed out a large volume of flames. They covered a large area, burning and literally shaking the ground. Wendy tried to protect herself with a barrier of wind but the sheer force behind Natsu's fire broke through her defences, giving her some nasty burns. Suddenly, Natsu appeared in front of her, causing her to initiate another one of her techniques.

"**Sky Dragon's Claw,**" Wendy yelled as she kicked at Natsu, causing the wind to thicken and batter against him. Natsu's flaming aura re-appeared and warded off the wind before Natsu grabbed Wendy's ankle and threw her away. She managed to land on her feet but Natsu shot towards her, throwing another flame-empowered punch at her face. She tried to defend against him by raising her arms, cloaked in wind. However, Natsu's attack pushed her back and gave her several other burns on her arms.

"I'M NOT DONE YET," Natsu roared, shooting towards her in the blink of an eye. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" He moved his arms quickly and waves of fire crashed against Wendy, destroying her Armour spell and burning off her mask and hat. As she lay on the floor, not too far away from Erza's condition, Wendy began to apologize mentally to Mystogan. _I'm sorry... Jellal-san, _she thought. _His Dragon Slayer Magic's on a whole other level! _She got up slowly before Natsu came back at her.

Shooting out of the smoke, the pink-haired Dragon Slayer charged towards her, his fist cocked back to strike, as Wendy's mask crumbled to pieces. She quickly threw aside her burned hat, revealing her blue hair and familiar face to Natsu. Something inside the pink-haired boy's mind clicked and he immediately stopped himself, the ground getting pulverized as a result of the friction. As he recognized Wendy's features, Natsu's uncontrollable orange aura disappeared and his pupils came back, looking at the blue-haired girl sharply.

"It's you," Natsu said, clenching his teeth. "You're the girl I met in the forest! You're Mystogan's partner?!"

"Why did you stop?" Wendy asked, ignoring Natsu's question. "I killed an important person to you, yet you can't kill me?" Remembering Erza's burned figure, Natsu gave out another roar and punched Wendy in the square of her jaw, causing her to tumble back to the floor. However, unlike the time before, Wendy merely wiped her mouth before standing up again. "What happened to that power? Are you not angry any more? Wasn't she precious to you?"

"I-I... don't know," Natsu said weakly. "I c-can't... feel it." He backed away a little, looking back at her face.

"I see," Wendy said. "In my opinion, sometimes people have the wrong idea. They aren't able to defeat the people that need to be defeated and show them mercy; but is it actually mercy? Do you know how it feels like... to not have a dream or purpose?"

"What're you on about?" Natsu asked. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"It's simple, really," Wendy said. "Mystogan doesn't need a weak mage like me. Not after I lost against you. There's no point in me existing anymore."

"What's up with you?!" Natsu shouted. "He takes money from bad guys and does evil things! Don't you have any other people important to you?!"

"I did, a long time ago," Wendy said, thinking back to her childhood. "My parent, Grandeeney... was the Sky Dragon. She was the one who taught me my Sky Dragon Slayer Magic. That was a happy time; Grandeeney would never let me take any pains and would do almost everything for me. I loved the times she took me high in the sky and we flew there for a long time!" There was a smile on her face as she recalled those lovely events.

"What happened?" Natsu asked, curious. Despite being a Dragon Slayer, the pink-haired boy had never grown up with a Dragon and knew next to nothing about their lifestyle. "I mean, how did you come across Mystogan and all that?"

"One day, on 7th July in Year 777, I woke up one morning to find that Grandeeney had left. She had never warned me about that and it shocked me to the very core. Suddenly, I found myself in a world with no purpose; I was... unneeded. After that, I began travelling across Fiore, coming across many towns and cities. Wherever I went, though, I would never find a home and everybody regarded me as a freak for having a Dragon as a parent, shunning me. I was bullied and hurt many times and the adults didn't want to take me in or offer me a single meal."

"What happened next?" Natsu asked, tearing his eyes away. While he hadn't had a Dragon as his parent, he knew better than anyone just how badly you could be treated for being associated with one and how he had suffered at the hands of the Magnolia civilians for ten years. _She's just like me, _Natsu thought as he remembered the feeling of not belonging to the world, where nobody acknowledged him. Despite having learned Dragon Slayer Magic, he still felt people's unease at Makarov for making him into a mage.

"Finally, when I was on the verge of dying from hunger," Wendy said, "Mystogan found me. He was also a lost boy, coming from the other side of Fiore. However, he had brought food with him and he was kind enough to give me a meal, making sure I wouldn't starve. Mystogan didn't look at me with the same hate-filled eyes or reject me. He was a strong mage and went on many jobs, trying to earn as much money as possible. There were some Mercenary guilds after him so we were always on the run; until he could defend himself, whenever we were caught, Mystogan would bribe them and that would be another time we were spared."

"I didn't know you guys had it that hard," Natsu confessed, looking guilty. "I mean, I thought Mystogan was just a greedy bastard. I wouldn't have guessed that he did it to support you, as well."

"Things will surprise you," Wendy said. "Why is it that you're so determined to be Fairy Tail's Master? Because you want to be recognized by all eyes in your guild and city as a great mage. You see, I realized that it's only through people's eyes that our little lives hold any meaning. When there's nobody that sees you or cares about you, it's as if your very existence... is meaningless."

"But why would you want to die for him?" Natsu asked, still puzzled. "You don't die for the people you care about! You live for them!"

"It's too difficult for you to understand," Wendy said. "But by failing to defeat you, I've proved myself as too weak. And Mystogan doesn't need someone weak like me; he needs a strong tool. So, please, do it; kill me. I know you're not the type of person who would leave me in pain for the rest of my life; you're not that cruel, are you, Natsu-nii?"

_She's asking me to kill her! _Natsu thought, wide-eyed. Then, he turned back to see Erza's lifeless form and anger began to resurface, although not as potent as the last time. _She killed Erza! Erza also had her dreams and ambitions! AND SHE STOLE THEM AWAY! _Natsu gave out a roar, causing Wendy to smile, and charged towards the blue-haired girl, aiming for her neck. Wendy stood there, watching as Natsu came closer, before her eyes widened suddenly; she quickly dodged Natsu's fist and moved away from him.

"W-What're you doing?" Natsu asked, confused and taken aback.

"I'm afraid I can't die yet," Wendy said. "There's still one last thing this broken tool needs to do. Farewell, Natsu-nii; I know that you'll become Guild Master and a really strong mage someday." Having said that, Wendy used her Teleportation Magic to disappear, slightly wrecking the ground. Natsu got over his surprise and headed over to where Laxus and Mystogan were finishing things up

* * *

_What was that Magic power? _Laxus thought, alarmed. _It felt like... NO, IT CAN'T BE. _The type of Magic power he had been feeling a while ago was akin to that of the Fire Dragon that attacked Magnolia a decade ago. Laxus would later realize that it had emanated from Natsu, his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic changing in nature. The Lightning mage tried to leave again but Mystogan intercepted him.

"That was some intense Magic power," Mystogan mused. "So dark and chaotic, like a Dragon's. I wonder what's happening over there." He smiled under his mask as his goading caused a vein to pop in Laxus' head.

"I don't have time to deal with you!" Laxus shouted. "I need to check up on Erza and Natsu!"

"I won't let you off that easily. **Five-Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song,**" the masked mage yelled. "Hope you haven't forgotten this one."

"The same techniques again?" Laxus mocked, getting serious. "Looks like you've gotten nothing new, Mystogan. **Lightning Storm.**" He created a sphere of lightning in his hands, which shot out bolts of electricity at Mystogan. But the masked mage merely used his staff to ward off the electricity, laughing as he did it.

"That was new," Mystogan said. "But I think you've forgotten that you need your Dragon Slayer Magic to take me down. Or are you afraid of getting tired?"

"You talk too much," Laxus growled. "**Thunder Bullets. **And then, **Raging Bolt.**" He released a barrage of miniature lightning orbs before creating a massive sphere of lightning in the sky, directing it towards Mystogan. The first attack was quickly dodged by Mystogan but the second caught him by surprise, as the bolt of lightning came at him with great speed.

"**Three-Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water,**" Mystogan quickly made hand-signs, summoning three Magic circles that reflected Laxus' magic back at him. But, at that moment, he realized that Laxus had disappeared.

"Up here," Laxus yelled, causing Mystogan to look up. "**Lightning Dragon's Roar.**" He released a torrent of lightning at Mystogan and the laser cut through the masked mage before he could react, causing his image to flicker and disappear. Laxus' eyes widened as he realized that it had been a Thought Projection of Mystogan all along.

"I told you I'd come prepared," Mystogan called. Laxus turned around but couldn't Mystogan through the fog, which had deepened. _Damn it, _the Lightning mage thought. _I can't see him at all! _Suddenly, a gust of air came from the side but Laxus managed to react to it, turning into lightning and evading it. He heard Mystogan make an appreciating sound in the mist, mocking him.

"Don't get too cocky," Laxus roared. "**Lightning Flash.**" He released a large amount of light from his body, which penetrated the mist and blinded Mystogan. The masked mage let out a shout as he tried to cover his eyes, failing badly. _It doesn't matter anyway, _Mystogan thought as he kept up his mist form. _He can't see where I am._ However, that little stunt had given Laxus enough time to use his keen smell and locate Mystogan, grabbing the masked mage by the collar and causing him to revert back to normal. Laxus headbutted Mystogan, causing sparks to fly and sending him sprawling to the floor.

"H-How did y-you know?" Mystogan asked, getting up. "How did you distinguish me from the rest of the fog?"

"That's a weird question," Laxus said, walking towards Mystogan. Before the masked mage could attack him or back away, two Thought Projections of Laxus appeared and grabbed him. "You've spent most of your life living and training a Dragon Slayer yet you don't know about our enhanced smell? Even though I needed to blind you for a bit, I used your smell to find out in the mist. And this time, I'm gonna take you down for sure: **Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist.**"

Cocking back his lightning-covered arm, Laxus pushed it outwards and his Magic circle appeared, from which a large fist of yellow lightning shot towards Mystogan. Then, just as Mystogan was about to get hit, Wendy immediately appeared in front of him with her arms spread wide. Everybody's eyes widened as Laxus' Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic hit Wendy straight in the stomach, causing her to cough up blood and get electrocuted completely. Both Laxus and Mystogan now had droplets of her blood on their faces and clothes. Natsu simply stared in shock at the same, amazed at how easily she gave up her life for Mystogan.

Mystogan stared sadly at her corpse, which lay at his feet. "She was a good mage," he said, kneeling down and closing her eyes. Tears trickled down his eyes, wetting his mask. Without a single word, Mystogan quickly took off his hat and mask, showing a shock of unruly blue hair. Laxus gasped in surprise as he absorbed the man's features.

"Is that you... Jellal?" Laxus asked, gritting his teeth. "Why are you using this kind of magic? How do you know this girl?"

"You're mistaking me for Earthland's Jellal," Mystogan said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm from another dimension, known as Edolas. When I was very young, an Anima opened up and I was sent here. Ever since then, I've been going across the cities and stumbled across Wendy, who needed my help. I took her on as an apprentice, improving her physical strength and fighting skills while offering her tips on her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic."

"Edolas, huh?" Laxus said, not sure whether he was lying or not. "How come we've never heard of that place?"

"Most people from Earthland don't know of it," Mystogan answered. "However, the people of Edolas are well-aware of this place. Unlike here, Edolas doesn't have unlimited magic in its atmosphere; when I left Edolas many years ago, the scientists had just discovered that magic was running out. By now, I'm sure that they're in a tough position."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Laxus asked. "The Jellal I know is a master manipulator and he's got a snake's tongue."

"You don't," Mystogan said. "I have nothing other than my story to prove I'm not Earthland's Jellal. This is why I've got all the Mercenary guilds chasing me the whole time! This is why I wear a mask and a hat."

"Well, well," Kazuki's voice rang out across the plaza, revealing him and his gang of murderous thugs. "I'm deeply disappointed in you, Mystogan. Or should I say... Jellal. Now I know why you have such a large bounty on your head, mage! I guess I'll be collecting it over your corpse, eh?"

"What is the meaning of this, Kazuki?!" Mystogan roared, glaring at the man. "I thought we had a deal."

"We did but you proved yourself incompetent," Kazuki shouted, pointing a finger at him. "You and the little girl all messed up! You were supposed to kill Aoi before 12 A.M. Do you wanna know the time now?! It's 1 P.M.! The Mayor's already informed the Government by now and the Rune Knights are probably on their way. So, before I leave this place, I'm gonna deal with you and take that bounty on your head. It's good since I never had any intention of paying you, anyway!"

"Would you please excuse me, Laxus?" Mystogan asked, turning to face Kazuki. "It's high time I take away his puny little life!" There was a deathly expression in Mystogan's face as he stood up to the goons. Laxus backed away and stood beside Natsu, watching as Mystogan attacked the gang head-on. Despite being tired and worn-out, he used everything in his arsenal; he put people to sleep, shot blasts of purple light, used hand-signs to direct air-based attacks at them, made them go insane with his staves, and even used his Magic circles. _What an amazing sight! _Natsu thought as he saw Mystogan dominate the battlefield, his rage fuelling his magic.

* * *

"Hey guys," Lucy called, causing them to look at her and Aoi. "We're back! The whole thing was a success; the Mayor's already called the Government and the Rune Knights are on their way here!"

"Did Kazuki try anything?" Laxus asked. "Or was the whole way clear?"

"No, he sent some men to delay us," Lucy said dismissively. "I used Taurus to take them down. But why's Mystogan going crazy on Kazuki? Aren't they on the same side? And where's the girl that was giving Erza-san a hard time? Hey, Natsu, when did you come here?"

"As inquisitive as ever," Laxus grumbled although he also wanted to know what happened to Erza. "Apparently, Kazuki double-crossed Mystogan and had no intention of paying him. Instead, he came here to collect the bounty on his head before he left Hargeon, due to the Rune Knights arriving. The girl sacrificed herself and took my killing blow, which was meant for Mystogan instead. That's one reason why he's gone berserk."

"Oh, I get it," Lucy said, looking at the roaring Mystogan. "But where's Erza? Last I remember, she was struggling against Wendy. Natsu, if you're here, you helped her right? So where is she?" Lucy and Laxus both looked at Natsu, expectantly. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer had a frown on his face and he wasn't able to meet their eyes. The Lightning mage immediately realized the whole situation, connecting the immense release of Magic power earlier to Erza's current state. _To have died at this age, _Laxus thought, shaking his head. _It amazes me every time. How short our lives as mages are!_

"Y-You s-see," Natsu stuttered, gritting his teeth. "S-She... uh, she's not... I mean..." His stuttering simply confirmed Laxus' suspicions while Lucy's smile disappeared, replaced by a horrified look. The fog had begun to clear and the blonde could see a body in the distance, not moving. _No.. it can't be, _Lucy thought. She took off towards it with Aoi in the background, equally mortified at the red-haired girl's state. They passed Natsu, who couldn't lift his head up in shame, wondering what would have happened if he had arrived sooner.

"Don't blame yourself, Natsu," Laxus said, causing the pink-haired boy to look at him. "It's my fault; if I had woken you up and not ditched you, you would've been a great help to us. Maybe if you and Erza had both double-teamed Wendy, she might not have..." He trailed off, not wanting to say the other words in front of Natsu. Laxus turned his attention back to Mystogan's assault, ashamed that he called himself the team leader when one of his students was in such a bad condition.

Lucy's eyes widened as she looked at Erza's shape; she had numerous burns and bruises across her body and her clothes were in rags. "Her body's completely cold," the Celestial Spirit Mage said, tears threatening to spill. "This isn't Illusion Magic, is it? This is reality." She kneeled next to the 'dead' armoured mage, stroking her unruly hair.

"Go on, Lucy," Aoi said, offering his support. "You don't have to be brave when your teammate's just... left. I know how you fond you were of her. Go on; let it all out." At his words, Lucy stopped trying to hold it in and began to cry, tears falling on Erza. The blonde wailed loudly and began rambling about how mages used their emotions to control magic yet her feelings had only surfaced after Erza had died. Natsu clutched his vest tightly as he thought about Erza; her red hair, tough attitude, and their rivalry.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mystogan was still fighting the gang and was beginning to lose. Despite having cut down their numbers by over half, he was slowing down and had already been shot several times with magic bullets. "Get him, guys!" they shouted. "Let's get some of that bounty!" Remembering Wendy's face as she took Laxus' blow, Mystogan cried out in anguish before swung his stave in an arc and hitting each of them in the face, causing them to fall back. This gave him enough time to dash towards Kazuki, who was immediately frozen in fear.

"You're just a coward!" Mystogan snarled, his face becoming hard. "Yet Wendy had to die for you. ON YOUR MISSION! Are you telling me you weren't even gonna pay us?!" He slammed his stave into Kazuki's leg, causing the latter to cry out in pain as he was pinned to the floor. Mystogan grabbed his neck, squeezing the life out of him before he was pelted with another series of bullets, draining more of his Magic power and leaving him out of breath. Darkness threatened to cloud his vision but Mystogan held on, a picture of Wendy smiling in his mind.

"Too late, Mystogan!" Kazuki managed a grin. "You missed your chance. You should have ended it quickly!" His gang members carefully took aim again, preparing to end the azure-haired mage's life.

"It's alright," Mystogan growled. "I don't need a lot of magic to take care of you!" As he panted in exhaustion and pain, he quickly made a few hand-signs before a purple Magic circle appeared. Then, a beam of purple light hit Kazuki and completely erased every single trace of him, turning him into ashes. Less than a second later, he got pelted by the gangsters' late bullets, which caused him to hit the floor as his Magic power almost completely vanished. _I'm sorry it ended like this, Wendy, _Mystogan thought. _I never got to see Edolas again. I regret not being able to take you there with me, Wendy. And... most of all... I never got to thank you._

"So... Mystogan did the right thing in the end," Natsu said. "What'll happen to his body, Laxus-taicho?"

"He's not the person the bounty's on," Laxus said. "He'll be buried here along with Wendy. But first, the Rune Knights will probably want to check his body to make sure he's not Jellal. Don't worry; I'll make sure that they're kept side-by-side."

_W-Where am I? _Erza thought as she slowly opened her eyes. _Am I alive? Who's... crying? _She raised her head to see that Lucy was crying on her while Aoi was trying to wipe his tears. "Hey, Lucy," the red-haired mage gasped out, causing Lucy to immediately shoot up. "It's hard to breathe when you're crying on my body." Both Lucy and Aoi were amazed since they had thought Erza had passed away, their tears stopping.

"ERZA!" Lucy exclaimed. "You're alive! I'm glad..." She trailed off and wiped her eyes as Erza got up slowly, wincing at her burns. She looked down at the state of her clothes and felt embarrassed that Lucy and Aoi had seen her in such a form. Then, she immediately realized that the girl and Natsu weren't there, causing her to blush slightly as she remembered how Natsu had arrived to catch her._  
_

"Where's Natsu?" Erza asked. "And where's the girl with the mask? What's going on?" Lucy helped her to her feet before giving an answer.

"Natsu's fine," Lucy said. "But the girl... she's dead." That piped up Erza's interest, who remembered vividly that Natsu was about to fight Wendy.

"How did she die? Did Natsu do it?" Erza asked Lucy, who simply looked away.

"I don't really know," Lucy replied. "I just came back from the Mayor's Office with Aoi-san. He's told the Mayor everything he had on Kazuki. Tomorrow, the Rune Knights should arrive here for him. But, from what I got, it seems like Wendy took Laxus-sensei's attack, which was actually meant for Mystogan."

"I see," Erza said, drifting to her thoughts as Lucy rambled on. "Wouldn't you agree this was a very interesting job?" The other two merely nodded before Lucy called to Natsu, getting his attention. The Dragon Slayer looked at Erza, who didn't know how to reply except wave, while Natsu grinned at the red-haired mage emotionally. _She's alright, _he thought happily. Then, Wendy's death came back to him and Natsu looked sadly at the blue-haired Dragon Slayer, who looked peaceful in her death._  
_

"Don't get too comfortable!" one of the gang members yelled, causing them to look at him. "You may have gotten rid of Kazuki but we're still taking the bounty! And you guys are running low on Magic power, aren't ya? Nothing can stop his now." The large group began to laugh as Natsu glared at them, preparing to step up when Laxus stopped him.

"Are you sure about that?" Laxus asked, pointing behind them. "Just take a look behind you." Following his instruction, they quickly looked behind them and were astounded to see a large mob of angry civilians. They had all received news from the Mayor about his proof against Kazuki, giving them enough confidence to stand up against Kazuki's men.

"We're not letting you take anything," one man yelled, taking out a knife. He stepped protectively over Mystogan's body. "This guy might've made mistakes in life but he corrected them in the end, even taking down Kazuki at the cost of his life. We're taking you down!" Aoi's mouth hung open in surprise as his dream came true; all of Hargeon's residents had come together against Kazuki's task force. Natsu laughed at their horrified expressions and decided to join in, his fists igniting while Laxus also wanted in, covering his own hands in lightning.

After that, it was simply a one-sided battle as another large portion of the gang was burned, electrocuted, and destroyed by the townsmen. They chased Kazuki's men to the docks, where Kazuki had apparently kept a ship ready. Many of them managed to start the engine and escape but the ones who were left behind were brutally beaten by the civilians, who punched with their bare hands and smiled as they finally got payback. Aoi smiled as he joined his friends, who congratulated him for finding evidence against Kazuki and the others hailed him as a hero, clapping him on the shoulder.

"So it's finally over, huh?" Mystogan asked quietly as Laxus stood beside his body. "I have a favour to ask, Laxus. Before I leave... I want to see her a final time." He didn't need to say who he was talking about since the Lightning mage could take a pretty good guess. He nodded wordlessly and picked Mystogan up, carrying him towards Wendy. Setting down, Laxus walked away and let them have their moment. "Thank you, Laxus," the blue-haired mage said.

"You're welcome," Laxus said, not turning around. The whole town was quiet as they turned to see Mystogan and Wendy, lying together. Many were touched while others merely shook their heads, marking it as another reason they shouldn't become mages. Laxus came to a stance beside Natsu, both looking as Mystogan said his final words to Wendy.

"You were always at my side," Mystogan said, bringing his hand up to stroke Wendy's face. "The least I can do is be at your side, in the end. I never got to say this... but I think you were the best apprentice anyone you ever have, Wendy. You impressed me countless times with your abilities. And now, I wish we could have gone together on more jobs where I wouldn't be so restrained. Forgive me, Wendy. I hope... I'll be able to see you... in the afterlife." Having finished his small speech, Mystogan's eyes closed and his body became limp, his hand falling from Wendy's face.

* * *

"Is that it, sensei?" Lucy asked when they buried Wendy. They couldn't bury Mystogan's corpse until the Rune Knights would come and take it back to the Government for analysis. "Is that the way things work with mages? To use and be used? To be nothing more than tools?"

"Well, Lucy," Laxus said, smiling at her. "I would say _everybody _are merely tools in front of destiny, mages more so than others. There's no point in wondering what is and what isn't. This system just can't be helped; it's the same case back home, in Fairy Tail."

"That's messed up," Natsu said, his eyes looking sad. "Is this why we go through all this training? Just to end up like them?!"

"What's the reason for that?" Erza asked, also interested in knowing the answer. She had already begun healing from the wounds although was dressed in many bandages.

"It's a question without an answer," Laxus said, looking into the sunset. "And... it's something we wizards have to deal with, everyday of our lives. Like Mystogan and the girl."

"Well, then," Natsu said, smiling as he pointed towards the setting sun. "I've just decided that I'm going to find my own way. Something I'm going to do while I'm in the process of becoming Guild Master!" At that, Erza and Lucy merely shook their head at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer while Laxus nodded in approval. _Two goals now, huh? _he thought. _That's good, Natsu. You'll go far... I'm sure._

* * *

The next day, Team 7 had packed up and were all ready to go. Laxus had let Erza use some of his herbal remedy and it swiftly aided in her healing, relieving her of most of her burns. The same morning, the Rune Knights had appeared with Lahar as the captain. Laxus had explained the whole job to him and how Kazuki had hired Mystogan to execute Aoi due to the evidence he had, leading to a conflict between Team 7 and him. Eventually, Mystogan had killed Kazuki and later, lost his own life in the same place. Finally, the townsmen had chased Kazuki's men to the docks and they had left on their ship.

When Laxus had explained about Mystogan having the same face as Jellal and being from Edolas, Lahar had immediately decided to take his body back to the Government for confirmation. However, the Lightning mage made the Rune Knight captain promise to return the body to Hargeon, where he would be buried next to Wendy. Lahar gave his word and due to doing such a good job, he decided to let Laxus and his team travel with the Rune Knights to Magnolia for free.

"We can't thank you enough," Aoi said as he and some of the other civilians had come to wish Team 7 bye. "Because of you and your efforts, Hargeon has been fully liberated from Kazuki's hold. Now, this port can go back to what it was before."

"Well, the real credits go to you," Laxus said. "You're a brave man, Aoi-san, for risking your life to get that evidence. Not to mention, you went through with it and despite S-class mages like Mystogan after you, you still presented the proof to the Mayor." Aoi blushed at the compliment, sheepishly laughing and scratching his head.

"Thanks again, Natsu," Akiko said to the pink-haired boy. "If you hadn't saved me there, Kazuki's men would have taken me hostage. If that had happened, that evidence would have never reached the Mayor and Kazuki would have forced Dad to back away."

"Aw, it was nothing," Natsu said, adopting a similar look to Aoi. "Take good care, both of you; we'll be sure to visit sometime." They nodded and waved to Team 7, who finally left; their job in Hargeon Town was completed! Since the Rune Knights were already at the station, Laxus urged his team to leave with a little bit of haste since he wasn't one to miss a free ride. Additionally, there were a few things he wanted to talk to Lahar about.

"Man, they're something else," one of Aoi's friends commented. "To think that they'd break Kazuki's control over Hargeon. It almost seems too good to be true!"

"It does, doesn't it?" Aoi asked, not moving his eyes from their retreating figures. "Especially Natsu; when we first started on the job, I underestimated him a lot. I would have never thought he'd prove to be so much stronger than I gave him credit for."

"Things are gonna change now," Akiko said. "Are you guys going to go sailing again?" All the men simply nodded, smiling widely; the only reason they couldn't go sailing was because Kazuki and his men did evil things at the docks. Over the two years of his reign, the townsmen couldn't pursue their dreams and now... all of that would change back to what it once was.

"That square's completely decimated," another one of Aoi's friends said. "Say, we should really use the space to make a few new complexes or something. What do you say, Aoi?"

"You're right," Aoi nodded, smiling at them. "We'll begin fixing the place soon and make new projects there. This is the time of growth, after all! And I even have a name in mind for the place; how does _The Salamander Square _sound to you guys?" They all cheered and nodded, agreeing with the name; it had become Natsu's nickname and almost all the townsfolk in Hargeon knew about it. They had also given the others nicknames such as the _Lightning Saint_, _Cosplay Queen_, and _Titania_. But Aoi decided to choose Natsu's.

"That place is going to become famous someday, then," Akiko said. "I'm quite certain that Fairy Tail's Salamander will become known all throughout the world. Now, that would be something, wouldn't it?" They all began giving affirmative shouts before Aoi led them back into Hargeon, thanking Team 7 once again in his mind for helping them gain their freedom.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:** _A New Chapter Begins! The S-class Promotion Trials._

"You're hopeless, Natsu!" Lucy yelled as they walked down the streets of Magnolia. Ever since returning from Hargeon, Team 7 had gone back to doing beginner jobs and Natsu had been messing up in all of them, causing his team to be very aggravated. So, as Laxus listened to his music, Lucy and Erza walked beside Natsu, criticizing the pink-haired boy.

"I agree with her," Erza said, causing Lucy to smile. "You really are just one big problem, Natsu!" However, hearing it from Erza made Natsu angrier; despite their experiences and training together, Natsu considered Erza his rival and wanted to prove himself by beating her. However, she would always steal the spotlight in their missions and Lucy always looked at her, which frustrated Natsu as well.

"What's with you, Erza?!" Natsu roared, pointing a finger at her retreating figure. "Our teamwork's ruined and it's all because of you. You think you're better than everyone else, don't you?"

"Not everyone... just you," Erza stated, coming to a stop. "Face it; I'm stronger and better than you are. It's a fact... unless you have what it takes to prove me wrong." She turned back to look sharply at Natsu, who clenched his teeth and visibly shook from anger, doing a poor job in controlling his temper. Lucy backed away a little and looked nervously between the two, hoping they wouldn't start fighting. _They're actually getting along worse than before, _she realized.

"Alright, you guys," Laxus said, turning off his music. "Let's call it a day. You're free to beat each other up, if you want. I have to go and file my report now." He turned and disappeared in a burst of light, using his Lightning Flash spell.

_I don't have time to waste on Natsu and these stupid jobs, _Erza thought, remembering her battle with Wendy. _There's still many mages that can beat me. I need to hone my skills so I can become stronger! _"Whatever, I'm out of here," the red-haired armoured mage said as she turned her back and began to walk away, causing Natsu to raise an eyebrow, wondering why she had suddenly backed off. However, Lucy had other plans in mind and wanted to show her friends how close she and Erza were.

"Hey, Erza-san," Lucy said, running up to her. "Since we have the rest of the day off, I was wondering if you would like to hang out with me and my friends. It won't be for long and-"

"I don't have the time," Erza said curtly, before giving Lucy a pointed glare. "Instead of trying to 'hang out', why don't you train yourself and make the team stronger. I swear, you're even worse than Natsu." Having said that, she walked away, leaving a depressed Lucy behind. _She's right, _the blonde thought dejectedly. _What have I really done on any of the jobs? Nothing. _She remembered how Natsu had actually proved to be quiet a major member of their team on the Hargeon Job, executing strategies and fighting Wendy after she had taken Erza out.

_What a jerkette, _Natsu thought, arms folded as he looked at Erza. Then, he heard a noise behind him, causing him to turn around. A rectangular box was standing in the middle of the road, looking quite similar to the ground. What gave it away was its shape. Natsu immediately realized who was hiding in it but decided to test his theory, running around. The box followed him until Natsu stopped, pointing his finger at it. "You really think that would fool me," the Dragon Slayer said. "You're seriously underestimating me, Romeo!"

The box exploded and Natsu backed up in panic as smoke rose into the sky. Then, three people were revealed on the floor: Romeo and two of his friends. "You saw through my camouflage again, huh?" Romeo asked, smiling sheepishly. "Just what I'd expect from my greatest rival! Alright, boss, you don't look busy now. Time to play mage with us!" His two friends nodded, equally intent on playing with him.

"Sorry, guys, I don't have time," Natsu said, smiling at them. "I need to train!"

"WHAT?!" they chorused. "But you promised you'd play mage with us today, boss!"

"Oh, really?" Natsu asked, pretending to be surprised as he rubbed his head. "Did I say that? Are you sure, guys?" _If I say yes, they're gonna make me play with them, _he thought. _If I say no, they're gonna pester me until I tell them I remember. _He would have decided to escape by using magic when Lucy walked up to them.

"A mage playing mage," Lucy mocked. "That is so lame!" She walked up towards them, Erza's comment still in her mind as she glared at Natsu. _My skills are worse than his? _she thought. _Unbelievable!_

Just as Natsu was about to give a retort, Romeo chuckled slightly. "You're a smooth operator, boss," he said, confusing Natsu. "Come on! I can see that she's your... girlfriend." Natsu blushed deeply at the word as he had imagined Lucy with himself when he was kid, finding her quite attractive back then. Although that was only until Lucy began chasing Erza around and talking badly to Natsu, who decided to forget about her.

However, veins popped in Lucy's temple and she cocked her fists back before punching Natsu and Romeo simultaneously in the head. Romeo clutched his head in pain while Natsu took a step back, rubbing his chin before grinning at Lucy. "Is that seriously all you've got?" Romeo piped up, looking at Natsu's expression. "The boss isn't even fazed!" As Erza's comment came back in her mind, the blonde ran at Romeo, who yelped before running away at full speed. Natsu sighed before following them, the other two behind him.

After running for a while, Romeo turned around to look at Lucy before turning back, crashing right into someone. He stumbled backwards, falling to the floor. In front of him were two mages; one was a tall and massive man in a green coat and hat while the other was a slender woman with blue hair. "Do you need something?" Aria asked Romeo, addressing the young boy.

* * *

At Guild Headquarters, Laxus submitted his report to Macao, who took it and filed it. "Thanks for the report, Laxus-san," Macao said, smiling at the Master's grandson. "How's Natsu doing? Is he getting along alright with his teammates?"

"Well," Laxus said, thinking of what to say. "I guess he is, little by little."

"I see," Macao said. "It's been so busy around here. I haven't seen the brat since he got back from Hargeon Town. I'm a little worried about him." He blushed slightly as he wasn't used to showing people his brotherly worries for Natsu.

"You know, Erza's also in our group," Laxus smiled. "Natsu sees her as a rival, which often puts a... strain on the team. However, at the same time, it also pushes Natsu to excel and I have to say he's made amazing progress. Someday, his skills might become strong enough to match the person he respects most in the world - you!" Macao laughed as he rubbed his head, pleased that Laxus had made such a compliment.

* * *

"Put him down!" Natsu shouted as he saw Aria raise Romeo by the collar. After Romeo had bumped into him, the foreign mage had taken offence and decided to toy with the kid, raising him by the collar. As Lucy backed up in confusion and slight fear, Natsu charged at him and was completely ready to pound his skull in.

"Don't be so loud," Aria chided, holding out his free hand. He shot out a blast of Airspace and, due to being invisible, Natsu didn't immediately dodge it. As a result, the wave of wind pushed him back and caused him to fall to the ground. Natsu quickly got up and wondered what he had just felt, a little dazed by Aria's spell.

"W-What was that?" Natsu asked, glaring at Aria. "I-I didn't see anything."

"Of course you didn't," Aria chuckled. "So you're a Fairy Tail mage, huh? Looks like your guild is full of weaklings." Next to him, Juvia didn't comment on what he said, looking at the scene calmly.

"I'm warning you," Natsu threatened. "You may have got me off guard but I'm more than capable of tearing you apart. You'd better drop him now!"

"You're annoying," Aria said. "I'm not exactly in the best mood, right now, and this kid just made the biggest mistake of his life in bumping into me." He raised Romeo a little higher, his knuckles digging into the boy's neck and causing him to choke slightly. Then, he brought his left hand to strike Romeo, immediately causing Natsu to charge at him again. Suddenly, Aria dropped Romeo and clutched his hand, rubbing it slightly.

"What're you guys doing here?" Erza's voice came from a tree. Everybody immediately realized that she had thrown a _pebble _at Aria and made him release Romeo. "You're a long way from home and way out of your league." Juvia raised an eyebrow at the red-haired mage's bold and adamant words, wondering how strong she would be.

"So another wimp joins the party," Aria said, turning to face her. "You all just keeping up; one-by-one."

"I don't like repeating myself," Erza said, standing up on the branch. "Beat it! You're causing unnecessary trouble... where it's not needed." The boys, including Romeo, stared dreamily at Erza while the girls smiled in admiration. Natsu gritted his teeth as he realized that she'd taken the spotlight again but couldn't help notice how good she looked, all authoritative.

"Well, why don't you get down here?" Aria asked, cracking his knuckles. "I'd like to make you experience the depths of my magic. Then, we'll know that you're not just all talk, no substance to back it up." He stepped forward and raised his hands, covering them with Airspace. Erza braced herself for a fight when a voice closed to her spoke.

"Aria," Gajeel said, sitting on a branch on the other side of the tree. "Back off! You're taking your status back home too seriously, bro. Have you forgotten why we've come here?" He smirked at them while Aria nodded, backing away slowly. _How did he get there? _Erza thought, somewhat shocked. _Only S-class mages at Laxus' level are that smooth._

"Of course I do, Gajeel," Aria said nervously. "So, uh, they challenged us, you see. They, uh, started the whole thing, really. Look, here's what happened-"

"Does it look like I care?" Gajeel asked, stopping him. "Shut up... or I'll kill you!" Juvia simply shook her head while Aria nodded, not wanting to invoke Gajeel's wrath. In their guild, Gajeel ranked higher than him and he had the type of magic that Aria was weak to, as well.

"Right, right," Aria said quickly. "I was out of line, uh, sorry. I also think we should go." He released his Airspace and put his hands at his side.

"I'm sorry for any trouble he's caused," Gajeel said to Erza, although she could clearly see he wasn't sincere. She nodded, wondering what would happen if she crossed swords with him. Gajeel was also thinking along the same lines, recalling how Erza had stopped Aria with a pebble despite him being quite strong. Then, the long-haired Dragon Slayer leaped down from the tree and landed on the ground, walking off with his teammates.

"Hold on a second," Lucy called, causing them to stop. "You guys are definitely not from around here. I haven't ever seen you mages before yet I know all the mages aside from S-class wizards."

"You're right," Juvia spoke for the first time. "We're from Phantom Lord, your neighbours. And we're here... for the S-class Promotion Trials." All of the Fairy Tail mages' eyes widened in surprise while Natsu just squinted at them dumbly.

"So... what's the S-class Promotion Trials? I've never heard of them," he asked, causing them to facepalm themselves. Erza just sighed while Lucy resisted punching the pink-haired boy for his stupidity. Aria and Gajeel both resisted a laugh while Juvia just seemed sympathetic.

"Hey, boss," Romeo piped up. "Those are a set of trials that every mage has to go through to become a S-class mage." Natsu's face immediately brightened and he raised a fist, barely holding in his excitement. _Finally, _he thought. _This is better than any job! I'll finally be able to show them all. _Erza was thinking about the people that would be taking the trials and he also shook in excitement, leaping down from the tree.

"Hey, you," Erza called out, looking at Gajeel. "I'm interested in knowing your name. Who are you?"

"My name is Gajeel Redfox," Gajeel said, grinning. "And what's your name?"

"It's Erza Scarlet," Erza answered. "Well, then, I'll see you at the Promotion Trials." They nodded and immediately left, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop. _Things are definitely getting interesting around here, _she thought. However, unbeknownst to the Fairy Tail mages, three wizards were spying on them from the top of a tall building, looking with dark eyes.

"So what do you think, Nullpudding-san?" Flare asked. "Anything that strikes you?"

"Nothing special; the usual weaklings," Nullpudding said, before looking at Erza. "But the red-haired girl and the Phantom Lord guy? We need to keep an eye on them." Obra merely looked mutely at them while Flare just nodded.

* * *

"I have summoned you here for a very important discussion," Makarov said, addressing the assembled S-class and Elder mages. "Seeing your fellow mages here, some of you may already know what's going on."

"I've seen mages from other guilds in the city," Laxus said. "But isn't it too early?" Several mages nodded in agreement with the Lightning mage.

"While I agree it's too soon," Makarov sighed, "it is what it is. Thus, we will now choose our candidates for the S-class Promotion Trials. Would the S-class mages in charge of the rookie mages please step forward and begin? As you know, any mage that has carried out 8 or more jobs is eligible to participate in the trials." Three wizards stepped out: Laxus, Hayato, and Yuuki. They were in charge of Teams 7, 8, and 10. Many of the mages there began to wonder which teams would be selected. _There's no need for all this, _Macao thought. _It's far too early for their squads.__  
_

"I'll go first," Laxus said. "I lead Team 7, which consists of Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel, and Lucy Heartfilia. And now, I, Laxus Dreyar, recommend all three of these mages for the S-class Promotion Trials." Macao's eyes widened as he heard the recommendation.

"I lead Team 8," Cana said. "Gray Fullbuster, Elfman Strauss, Lisanna Strauss, and Max Alors. And now, I, Cana Alberona, recommend all four of these mages for the S-class Promotion Trials." More eyebrows were raised as two of the rookie teams were already recommended.

"My squad's number 10," Hayato smiled. "Evergreen, Freed Justine, and Bickslow. And now, I, Hayato Kagome, recommend all three of these mages for the S-class Promotion Trials." After that, the whole room erupted into murmurs and whispers as all three of the rookie teams would be participating in the Promotion Trials.

"Hold on a second!" Macao interrupted, causing them to look at him. "I have an objection, Master!"

"Yes?" Makarov said. "What is it, Macao?"

"The ten names that have been mentioned," Macao said, "have all been my students at the Academy. I know their powers and abilities. Every one of them is very strong, yes, but it's too soon! They need more experience before they can participate in the S-class Promotion Trials; if they go now, they're sure to fail them!" Laxus sighed as he realized who Macao had in mind.

"When I became an S-class mage, I was six years younger than Natsu," Laxus said. "Don't worry so much, Macao."

"Natsu's nothing like you!" Macao exclaimed, standing forward. "Are you trying to destroy him?"

"Well, they're always complaining about not being challenged enough," Laxus said. "Maybe getting wiped out at the Promotion Trials will teach them a lesson. A little pain is good, you know."

"W-What d-does that mean?" Macao asked. "Did you seriously-"

"Nothing fatal, of course," Laxus added. "But, come on, Macao, you need to calm down. I know this is personal for you and it upsets you-"

"That's enough, Laxus," Cana interrupted. "You need to back off now. You've said enough."

"On the contrary, Cana," Laxus piped up again. "I think Macao needs to hear this out. He needs to realize that they're not his students anymore... they're my soldiers." Macao gritted his teeth as he recognized the truth in Laxus' words; he meant that Macao should trust his judgement when it came to the team but the blue-haired man just couldn't, remembering Natsu's face.

"You've made your point, Macao," Makarov said. "Accordingly, I've decided the best thing to do is hold a little... preliminary test. You can carry out this test as you see fit in order to find out whether or not the rookies are ready for the S-class Promotion Trials."

* * *

The next morning, Team 7 was waiting at the bridge as usual for their leader. "I wonder what job we'll go on today," Natsu wondered aloud. "I wanna ask Laxus-taicho about those trials that the Phantom Lord guys were talking about." Lucy nodded while Erza cast her mind back to the day before, thinking about Gajeel Redfox and his teammates. At that moment, Laxus appeared on the other side of the bridge, walking up to them.

"Hey, guys," Laxus greeted. "I know this is a bit sudden but I've recommended all of you for the S-class Promotion Trials. These are your application forms." He handed them each a form, surprising the trio as they had been thinking of asking him about the Promotion Trials.

"Application forms?" Lucy asked, taking hers. "What're we supposed to do with these?"

"That depends," Laxus smiled. "This is all voluntary, by the way; so if you feel that you're not ready, you can wait until next year. In that case, these application forms are useless to you. However, if you _do _want to participate, go to the Academy in five days' time at 2 P.M. You can turn in your application forms there, in Room 301." Natsu cheered in happiness, tackling Laxus in a hug and surprising the Lightning mage.

"THANKS, TAICHO," Natsu roared. "You're the best!"

"I know right," Laxus sweat-dropped, setting the boy down. "Anyways, you have a lot of time to think about this. We wo't have any jobs in the meantime, alright?" They nodded and gave him another wave before Laxus flickered away, revealing himself as a Thought Projection. As he walked, Natsu thought about how he would beat Erza and Aria, becoming S-class mage. _After that, Gramps will have to retire, _Natsu thought, grinning to himself. Erza walked stoically, wondering if she would have the chance to fight Gajeel and... Natsu.

_Man, this sucks, _Lucy thought, coming to a halt. _I can't keep up with Erza-san; I can't even match Natsu! I'll never pass this exam. _She remembered how little she had done in their battles against Mystogan and Wendy. By sunset, many teams from guilds began to enter Magnolia, including a man dressed in golden armour and a cape. He chuckled evilly to himself as he saw the Fairy Tail Headquarters, feeling slightly nostalgic. Somewhere in the village, the three Raven Tail mages were walking with smirks on their faces.

* * *

"Hey, Natsu-nii," Romeo yelled as he saw Natsu the following morning. "Do you have any jobs today? Let's play mage!" He was there with his buddies when Natsu had come along.

"Sure," Natsu said, smiling. "I don't have any jobs for the rest of the week. I guess I can play with you guys for a while." They cheered as Natsu said that, raising their fists. Suddenly, the pink-haired Dragon Slayer frowned as a mage appeared behind the girl, putting a tissue to her mouth. It must have had chloroform since her eyes became sleeply, closing. The mage let out an evil laugh before he took off.

"Come on, boss," Romeo said. "We need to save her!" Natsu nodded and took off into the forest after the mage while Romeo trailed behind with his friends. After a few minutes, though, they soon became lost as Natsu shot off behind the disguised Macao. _So he can keep up with me at this speed, huh? _Macao thought, impressed. Then, he began to move at his regular speed and left Natsu behind.

"I thought that Fairy Tail had powerful mages," Macao growled, tying up the girl to a tree. "But all of these people are just weaklings!" At that moment, Natsu's roar was heard and he fell towards the ground, breaking it as he landed. Macao raised an eyebrow as Natsu's hands caught fire, a smirk on his face.

"I'll have fun ripping off that mask and hat of yours," Natsu yelled. He charged towards Macao and aimed a punch at him, which Macao managed to dodge. Then, his eyes widened inwardly as Natsu turned and kicked at his head, causing Macao to dodge again. Then, Natsu's cheeks puffed up before he released a large amount of flames, burning Macao's outfit and pushing him back. "That was my **Fire Dragon's Roar.**" Then, Natsu quickly went to the tree and freed the girl, just when Romeo arrived.

"Here, Romeo," Natsu said, giving her to Romeo. "She just smelt a little bit of chloroform so she'll be out for a bit. Did you see how I got that guy? Do you think Erza could have done that?"

"That was nicely done, boss," Romeo smiled. "I gotta say that your Fire Dragon Slayer Magic is definitely cooler than whatever magic Erza does. You still don't have the style, though." Natsu's eyebrow ticked as he chased Romeo around, breathing out fire like a dragon. Behind a tree, Macao smiled as his outfit fell slightly to the ground, revealing his white coat. _You've become stronger, Natsu, _the blue-haired instructor thought proudly.

* * *

"Um, Erza-san," Lucy said, walking with Erza. "How come you wanna walk with me all of a sudden?" Around ten minutes ago, Erza had called her out of her apartment and wanted to walk with her, surprising Lucy since it was something _she _would be asking the red-haired mage.

"It's because I want to tell you to give up on the Promotion Trials," Erza said, stopping ahead of her. "There's just no way you can pass them."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Lucy said dejectedly. "You're right, Erza-san."

"These mages are really strong and they don't have mercy," Erza continued. "If you try to fight them, you could lose your life."

"Yeah, I get it," Lucy said, before she smiled. "But, Erza-san, you're saying this to me since you care about my well-being!"

"Uh, yeah, I guess I do," Erza smiled back. "I've learned a little from being in a team with you and Natsu." Lucy nodded before she took out one of her Keys and summoned Taurus, who swung his axe at Erza. She immediately backed away from Lucy and Taurus, dodging the blow.

"What?!" Erza asked, surprise. "But how? How did you know it wasn't me?" Her image disappeared to reveal Macao in his disguise, who had apparently been using Transformation Magic.

"You must've underestimated me," Lucy smiled, calling Taurus in. "I'm not fooled that easily. _Erza-san _wanting to walk with me and suddenly acting as if she cared about me? You even went on to say that you'd learned from me and Natsu, something which Erza-san would never say! So who are you?" She walked forward, causing Macao to send a blast of fire her way.

"You're finished," Macao said. "Such a shame since you were quite the perceptive one."

"Really?" Lucy said. "You really think I haven't figured out that you're a Thought Projection? The real you ran away back in the forest!" To prove her point, Lucy didn't move and the fire passed through her harmlessly before dissipating.

"Not bad," Macao said, fading away. "Just what I'd expect from a mage trained by Laxus. But the S-class Promotion Trials will be more than just Thought Projections. We'll see if you can make it!" He completely disappeared, leaving behind an aggravated yet determined Lucy, who decided she would take the trials.

* * *

"Let's see how you do, rookie," Macao said, charging towards Erza. "It's better to eliminate some competition before the Promotion Trials begin!"

"Stay out of our village!" Erza said, summoning two swords. She quickly dodged Macao's blows before cutting through him, causing his image to flicker and disappear. _He was only a Thought Projection, huh? _she thought, sending the twin weapons back. _Guess he was too scared to fight me seriously. _She turned around and continued on her way home, feeling even more eager for the S-class Promotion Trials.

* * *

"So how did it go?" Laxus asked when Macao appeared on the rooftop. "I trust you've finished testing everyone?"

"Yeah, they all made it," Macao said. "All ten mages proved themselves ready for the Promotion Trials. You were right, Laxus, they're good; every one of them has improved greatly since the Academy and developed some good skills."

"That's true," Laxus said. "But the S-class Promotion Trials can break anyone. We'll see how they do but I have faith that Natsu and the others can pass." He smiled to Macao, who also nodded before wishing him goodnight and heading back home.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the woods, Team 9 were finally finishing up. "Did you hear the news?" Elfman asked his teammates. "We're going to have rookie mages at the trials. First-year men! That hasn't happened in five years."

"It's probably a rumour," Loke said, playing with his rings. "Some S-class mage trying to boost their ego. Plus, there'll be women too, you know!"

"No, there's more to it than that," Elfman said. "Three of them are from Laxus' team. You know what that means, right?"

"Interesting," Mirajane smirked cockily. "Either way, it's too bad for them since we've got the most chance of becoming S-class." Her two teammates merely nodded, agreeing with the statement.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten****:** _The __S-class Promotion Trials Begin!__  
_

"Come on, Lucy," Natsu said. "You're late. We were about to leave, you know." It was 1:25 P.M. and they imagined it would take them at least twenty minutes to sign in. Both Erza and Natsu had arrived ten minutes earlier and decided to wait for the blonde, glaring at each other during the process.

"Right, sorry guys," Lucy said. "Let's go!" She looked at Erza for a while, which the red-haired mage found a little odd but decided to chalk it up to the blonde's admiration of her. They entered the Academy and climbed up the stairs to the third floor when they saw a crowd had gathered in front of a classroom. Raising an eyebrow, Erza decided to check it out, causing Natsu and Lucy to follow.

"Pathetic," Jet said as he kicked Elfman to the floor. "You're taking the S-class Promotion Trials yet you can't even get past us?" Next to him was Droy, who was equally tall and slim. They were both using Transformation Magic, since they would later proctor the first stage of the trials, and both had arrogant smirks on their faces, showing they wouldn't let anyone pass.

"Let us through," Loke said, standing forward and helping Elfman up. "We're supposed to go in there." He took a few steps forward but was punched by Droy, making him fall to the floor. Many of the spectators commented on the performance, one of them calling it harsh.

"Harsh?" Jet asked, laughing. "Don't kid yourself, bro. We're being nice by comparison; the Promotion Trials are gonna make this look small. Some of you aren't going to make it, some of you are gonna go insane, and some of you will be handicapped for life. For S-class mages, it's always like this." Many of the groups were beginning to look unsure, wondering if they should go in or not.

"That was a real nice speech," Erza said, moving up to them. "I can't help but wonder how long you're going to keep up that Illusion Magic going. We're going to the fourth floor; this is only the third." Many of the mages scratched their heads, wondering what Erza meant since the duo had set up Illusion Magic around the room names, making it appear as if it was the fourth floor.

"So you saw through that, huh?" Droy asked, smiling. "Care to explain how?"

"Go on, Lucy," Erza said, surprising Lucy slightly. "You've got the sharpest brain and best analytical skills here. You must've seen the Illusion Magic from a mile away."

"Uh, yeah," Lucy said, smiling quickly. "It's so obvious. You expected people to stop thinking how many flights of stairs they were climbing?" Natsu also nodded in agreement although he hadn't realized it wasn't the fourth floor until Erza pointed it out. Then, as Droy deactivated his Illusion Magic, the numbers on the door signs all changed from 4s to 3s.

"Not bad," Jet said. "Now, let's see you deal with this!" He quickly launched a kick at Erza, whose eyes widened at the speed before she held out her right hand, intending to block the attack. Suddenly, a white-haired girl lunged forward and intercepted Jet's kick, catching it. _That was so fast! _Lucy thought. _She's as fast as Erza! _Even the red-haired mage herself was surprised as she gritted her teeth at Mirajane, who simply smiled cockily.

"Hey, Mira-nee," Elfman said, slightly angry. "What happened to the plan? Weren't you the one who said to keep a low profile and not show our abilities?"

"I make the rules, Elfman," Mirajane growled, causing Elfman to apologize slightly. "In any case, it wouldn't hurt to show our skills just a bit. By the way, you're a rookie, aren't you? What's your name?" She turned to Erza and addressed the armoured mage. _Again?! _Natsu thought in jealousy. _It's **always **about Erza! Doesn't anyone wanna know my name?!_

"It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking someone else's," Erza said, turning around. "But... I will tell you my name. It's Erza Scarlet." Loke already saw many similarities between Mirajane and Erza, wondering if he should ask her number before shaking his head. _Knowing Mira-san, _she thought. _This might not end well for Erza. _Meanwhile, Elfman was crying against the wall as he had been rejected by Lucy, the rejection being an insult to his pride as a man, with Natsu next to him, equally disturbed.

"Hey guys, let's go," Lucy said, calling out to them. "We've got half an hour to go upstairs and hand in our application forms." Erza nodded and began walking off, eventually causing Natsu to follow as well. During the whole commotion, Jet and Droy had slipped away into an abandoned classroom and released their Transformation Magic, watching the rest of the conversation unfold with interest.

"So those are the bunch of kids Laxus and Jura have been going on about?" Jet asked. "I guess they've passed their first test."

"Yeah, looks like the Promotion Trials are going to be fun this year," Droy smiled. "Or for us, at least. Probably not for them."

_Erza Scarlet, huh? _Mirajane thought. "Hey, you guys can go without me," she told Elfman and Loke. "I'll join you in a minute, okay? There's something I gotta check." Elfman raised an eyebrow before he continued walking while Loke just shrugged, although he had a pretty good idea what Mirajane was going to do.

* * *

"HEY, YOU," Mirajane called out, causing Team 7 to halt. They were at a large hall on the fourth floor when the white-haired girl appeared. "I'm here... to challenge you. I want a fight right here and now, Erza Scarlet! My name is Mirajane Strauss."

"You want to fight me?" Erza asked, a smile appearing on her face. "You must be out of your mind if you think you stand a chance against me."

"Leave the boosting for later, Erza," Mirajane scoffed. "That is, if you manage to beat me. And that's highly unlikely."

"Alright, I accept your challenge," Erza said. "But let's keep this to fighting only. No magical abilities that are gonna tear this place apart."

"Sure," Mirajane smiled, readying herself. "Let's see what you've got!"

"HOLD IT!" Natsu yelled, causing them to look at him. "I get her first. It'll take me two minutes to beat this girl!" Erza merely nodded and stepped back, letting Natsu fight her.

"No thanks, dude," Mirajane said. "Right now, the only person I want to fight is Scarlet."

"Is that right?" Natsu asked, a vein popping in his head. "Well, for your information, I'm stronger than Erza!" He charged at Mirajane with fists ablaze, ready to wear her down.

Mirajane activated her Take Over: Satan Soul, transforming into a demonic being and surprising them with her change in appearance. "Nice trick," Natsu shouted as he neared her. "But it won't save you. **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" He aimed a punch at her, which Mirajane easily dodged, followed by a kick to her face and another roundhouse kick. However, Mirajane effortlessly evaded all of Natsu's blows and hit underneath him, causing him to trip and slide away. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer hit the wall and didn't move up, clutching his head in pain. _She's quite fast, _Lucy thought. _To dodge all of Natsu's moves like that and take him out..._

"Interesting," Erza smiled. "This is a perfect warm-up for me. Alright, let's go!" She summoned two of her trademark swords and charged towards Mirajane, slashing at her. But the latter easily dodged her strike and retaliated with her clawed hand, making Erza duck at the last second. Mirajane quickly turned around and kicked at Erza, which she blocked with her sword. _Why isn't it cutting her? _the red-haired mage wondered. Then, her tail strike out and caught Erza on the cheek, the force of the blow sending her backwards.

_She's too fast for me at this level, _Erza thought as she got up. _Looks like I need to get serious. _"**Requip,**" she said, her form glowing. "**Black Wing Armour.**" After the job at Hargeon, Erza had used the reward money she had gotten to repair her armours. It wasn't until a day ago that her armours were returned to her, fully-repaired, with the exception of the Heaven's Wheel Armour. Erza emerged in her Black Wing Armour, smiling at Mirajane. _So this is her Requip, _the Demon thought. _Let's see!_

_Erza-san's got her Black Wing Armour back, _Lucy thought in relief. _And it looks completely new! _Erza shot towards Mirajane with greater speed, sword poised to maim. Then, Lucy's smile vanished as Mirajane simply dodged Erza's slash again and kicked her in the gut, knocking the wind out of Erza. The red-haired mage feinted to the left before following up with a jab to the right but Mirajane merely blocked it with her transformed hand, pushing Erza back and giving her a punch to the face.

"This isn't as exciting as I thought," Mirajane mocked, causing Erza to grit her teeth. "Your fighting skills are as good as mine but there's clearly a difference in physical strength between us. Even though we're probably the strongest of the rookie mages. Here's what I believe; your Requip is the worst match for my Takeover. You never have to put any work for it; all you have to do is get money and buy your armours whereas I have to go to dangerous places in order to use my Takeover on creatures. Now... it's time to end this!" Erza shouted in frustration and charged at Mirajane, who dodged her moves again before kicking her into the air. Then, she raised her hand and began to focus her Magic power in a single spot, ready to take Erza out when a hand grabbed hers.

"Alright, that's enough, Mirajane," Jura said, fixing her with a hard look. "Were you really going to use that attack against a comrade? What were you thinking, Mira?" He released her hand and waited while Mirajane deactivated her Takeover, her Satan Soul form disappearing. Erza managed to rebound in the air, landing on the floor just in time. Her Black Wing Armour disappeared while Lucy ran over to her, asking if she was alright.

"Right, right," Mirajane said. "I'm sorry, taicho; I got carried away, okay?" She glared at him when he ruffled her hair, smiling affectionately before his stern fatherly look returned.

"You need to remember these things, Mira," Jura scolded. "You know, you're not supposed to reveal your magic to opponents before the real thing's even begun. Now, go the room or you'll be too late; you have less than fifteen minutes left!" She nodded sulkily before he hugged her, causing her to complain like a little girl but she smiled at him to show that she understood what he meant. _How could I lose to such a daddy's girl? _Erza thought, gritting her teeth.

"Hey, you there," Natsu shouted, causing Jura to look at him. "Who are you?! And what're you doing here?"

"Hello there," Jura greeted, smiling. "I'm Team 9's leader. You must be Laxus' squad. Tell me, how is your captain doing?"

"Do you know him well?" Lucy asked. "Your tone suggests that you two are good friends."

"That's true," Jura said, holding his chin. "Although, we're more arch-rivals really."

"THERE'S NO WAY!" Natsu and Lucy chorused while Erza just shook her head. "YOU EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT!"

"Hey, are you guys calling Jura-taicho a liar?" Mirajane asked, raging at them. "He's the most honest person I know!" Immediately, Lucy and Erza's eyes widened as they heard the man's name.

"Wait," Erza said, looking at Jura. "Are you _the _Jura Neekis?" Lucy nodded, looking surprised beyond belief while Natsu squinted at them, wondering what they were overreacting about.

"Is he like famous or something?" Natsu asked, causing Lucy to clap him over the head. "Ow!"

"You've been living under a rock, Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed. "Jura Neekis is one of the Ten Wizard Saints! The strongest mages in the world!" Natsu's eyes widened as he remembered the title coming up when Laxus was going to fight Mystogan. Erza was also visibly impressed at the man's high stature; _now I see why she's so strong, _Erza thought as she looked at Mirajane. _I need to get Laxus to train me after this!_

"My record is 50 wins and 49 losses," Jura said, releasing a little Magic power. "That's one more win than Laxus... which means I'm stronger than your sensei. Well, I've talked enough for now; you have around ten minutes left to go to Room 401. I wish all of you the best of luck and remember, to give your best. Bye, Mira!" He waved to them and smiled her, but she simply nodded dismissively. Jura's smile turned into a laugh before he left the place.

"Hey, Erza," Mirajane said, getting her attention. "Do you remember when I made a comment about us being the strongest mages of the rookies? Well, now, I'm going to warn you about something; my younger brother, who's also on my team, is catching up to me and he might also wipe the floor with you. So don't be surprised if he decides to target you. See ya later!" Having said that, Mirajane went on her way towards the room, leaving Erza trembling in frustration at her skills.

"Looks like you're not as great as everyone thinks," Natsu said as he looked at Erza. "She wiped the floor with you, Erza!"

"Shut up," Erza growled. "Next time, I'll drive her to her knees _and _take care of her brother, as well."

"Totally," Natsu said sarcastically. "Yet you just pwned so badly?" Lucy began to berate him for mocking Erza, who glared at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer with shaking eyebrows.

"Just what are you trying to say, dobe?" Erza asked. "Are you calling me weak?!"

"Did you listen to what she told you in your fight?" Natsu asked. "It's quite obvious that she's worked harder than you in getting those immense powers, training hard and going to places with dangerous monsters. Whereas, you simply went on jobs and used the reward to get you the armours you have today. If you ask me, it's quite clear that she's worked harder than you. That's all I'm saying." Natsu looked away, while Erza tried to process the information.

"Fine," Erza said, a smile appearing on her face. "This thing's starting to get interesting. The S-class Promotion Trials; I can't wait to see what's next. Come on, Natsu, Lucy. Let's go!" Determined, she walked towards Room 401 in bold strides, causing Natsu and Lucy to also smile and follow her. The Fire Dragon Slayer felt happy that he had gotten through to her and realized he also needed to train if he wanted to match Erza, Mirajane, and Elfman.

* * *

"Hey there, guys," Laxus greeted as he was standing in front of Room 401. "Glad you came, Lucy; for your sake and the others. Now, you can all register for the S-class Promotion Trials."

"W-What do you mean, sensei?" Lucy asked, confused.

"You see, only groups of three can enter this room," Laxus explained. "If you hadn't come, Lucy, then Erza and Natsu wouldn't have been able to take the Promotion Trials."

"WHAT?!" Lucy asked, with Natsu and Erza also shocked. "But, Laxus-sensei, you told us that the decision was up to the individual. That, if we didn't feel ready, we didn't need to take the trials!"

"That's true," Laxus said. "While it isn't false, it's not the whole truth either. It _is _an individual's decision whether or not they want to take the Promotion Trials. However, I didn't mention this requirement since I didn't want Natsu or Erza to pressure you into taking the trials. It should always be your own choice and nobody can decide it for you. But it doesn't matter now since you're all here; Lucy, Natsu, and Erza! Go in there and do your best!"

"Alright!" Natsu smirked as the three of them went inside. Laxus moved to the side and leaned against the wall, immersed in his thoughts. However, as soon as they went inside, Team 7 was immediately overwhelmed by the number of mages taking the trials. There were hordes of wizards, from various guilds, that had taken a seat and were waiting for the final seven minutes to tick by. Lucy gulped in nervousness as she looked at all of them, some of them smiling nastily back at her.

"Hey, Erza-san!" Evergreen greeted, walking up to Erza. "How's it going? We haven't talked in such a long time!" She was trying to act like Erza and her were good friends, like most of the girls, while Erza just looked at her with glum eyes.

"Why would she want to talk with you?" Lucy asked, pointing a finger at Evergreen. "Get lost, Ever; Erza's not interested in talking with you!"

"Oh, if it isn't Lucy," Evergreen mocked, shaking her head. "I wonder how they let you in; without those Spirits, you're nothing!"

"What did you say, Medusa?!" Lucy asked, causing a vein to pop in Evergreen's head. She would have continued arguing but Freed and Bickslow eventually came over, waving to Natsu and Erza.

"Well, it's Natsu," Freed smiled, teasing the Dragon Slayer. "That means these Promotion Trials are gonna be easier than I thought."

"What'd you say, Freed?" Natsu asked, a smirk appearing on his face. "I thought I found it strange that you're not writing your runes somewhere." Bickslow simply played with his dolls, which levitated around his face, making Natsu raise an eyebrow. Then, at that moment, Team 8 appeared.

"Natsu, huh?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow. "What're you doing here? You know you've got no chance of becoming S-class, Flamebrain." Behind him, Lisanna and Max just rolled their eyes as Gray started arguing with Natsu. Lisanna waved to Natsu, which he also returned, happy to see her since they'd been childhood friends.

"Did you say something, Popsickle?" Natsu teased, looking at him. "Why don't you take your stripping some place else?" Gray and Natsu glared at each other, fire and ice dancing in the background when he noticed Erza was there.

"ERZA!" Gray roared. "I'm going to beat you once and for all in these Promotion Trials. I've been training like crazy, got it?"

"You seem pretty confident, Gray," Erza smiled. "Make sure you don't start crying when I blow you away with a single hit." Gray just smiled and shook his finger, dismissing the possibility.

"Hey, can you guys keep it down a little?" a voice said to their left, causing them to look at Doranbolt. "You're the nine rookies, aren't you? Fresh out of the Academy? I wouldn't go making a spectacle of yourselves. Just take a look around you; you've already made quite an impression." They looked around to see that most, if not all, of the room's residents were looking at them with narrowed eyes. Evergreen scoffed, before turning her attention back to Dorabolt.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Are you also from Fairy Tail?"

"That's right," Doranbolt said, smiling. "My name is Mest. And I'll be taking the S-class Promotion Trials along with you." He was actually a spy, sent from the Government to infiltrate Fairy Tail and make sure they weren't up to any suspicious activities. The Government had less trust for Fairy Tail, once the guild had become the strongest in Fiore, and had taken these measures for safety. However, what they didn't know was that Doranbolt was also one of Ivan's men, who had also sent him to spy.

"Mest, right?" Lucy asked, getting a nod from him. "Is this the first time you're taking these trials?"

"Nope," Doranbolt said, shaking his head. "This is my... seventh time taking them. Well, they're held twice a year; so this is my fourth year."

"Wow," Lucy said, slightly taken aback. "That means you're probably an expert, by now."

"Some expert," Freed said, scoffing. "He's never passed, remember?"

"But I can still help you kids out a little," Doranbolt said, taking out a pack of cards. "These are my special Magic Cards. You see, these cards have been magic-encoded with all the data I've collected over the past three years. I've got over 200 of them so... I haven't been completely wasting my time." He set them on the floor and took one of them, which was blank, before spinning it around on the floor with his finger.

"What're you doing?" Lucy asked. "There's nothing on the card."

"I'm running my Magic power through it," Doranbolt said. "Does it look blank now?" He held up the card and everyone could see a map on the once-blank card, surprising the 9 rookie mages.

"What's the map showing?" Freed asked, interested. "It looks like some type of statistics to me."

"Oh, it is," Doranbolt said. "This shows the guilds that are participating and which has the highest number of participants. In these S-class Promotion Trials, the main guilds are Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord. However, the other guilds that are participating are Quatro Cerberus, Raven Tail, Southern Wolves, and Sylph Labyrinth." Team 7's eyes widened a little as they heard the name Southern Wolves, thinking back to their job at Hargeon.

"Do those cards of yours have any information on the candidates participating?" Erza asked.

"Why, yes," Doranbolt said. "Do you have anybody in particular in mind? Give me whatever you have on them; descriptions, where they're from, how they look like etc."

"There's Gajeel Redfox of Phantom Lord," Erza said. "And while you're at it, give me all you have on Mirajane Strauss of Fairy Tail." Lisanna's eyes twitched as she heard her elder sister's name, wondering how Erza knew her.

"You already know their names? That's no fun," Doranbolt said, going through his cards before selecting two. "Here they are. Let's start with Mirajane Strauss; she's about a year older than you guys although this is her first time participating in the S-class Promotion Trials. She's completed 31 Normal jobs, which is pretty good. His team leader's Jura Neekis, one of the Ten Wizard Saints... also very impressive. She utilizes Takeover and her battle form is Satan Soul, where all of her fighting aspects are excellent: physical strength, fighting skills and magic although she ranks a little lower on intelligence."

"I see," Erza said, realizing how strong Mirajane had been. "Now, what about Gajeel Redfox?"

"Right," Doranbolt said, turning the card blank and moving to the other. "He's the same age as you guys and this is also his first time taking the trials. Gajeel's completed 8 Normal jobs, but he's done more, and... get this! He's done 1 S-class job! That's quite impressive; his teammates are Aria and Juvia Lockser. There's not a lot of information about his powers but there _is _this... he can't run out of energy."

"W-What?" Freed asked, shocked. "What do you mean he can't run out of energy? Everybody runs out of stamina!"

"This guy doesn't," Doranbolt said simply, getting up. "I would advise not getting in a prolonged battle with him. He'll definitely outlast you." While he put his cards away, Erza bit her lip, wondering how she would take down such an opponent. _Someone who never gets tired?_ she thought, scratching her chin.

"The competition's going to be tough this year," Max said. "I wonder if we're all going to make it. Hey, Mest, is there a chance of dying in this event?"

"Yeah," Doranbolt said, nodding. "They'll make you sign forms later on, which will relieve them of responsibility of your lives. After that, if you die, there won't be any one to blame except yourself." At that, the mages panicked a little, wondering if they really stood a chance or should come back later that year. Outside the room, Laxus had similar thoughts running through his head, wondering if he had made the right decision. However, Natsu wasn't having any of it.

"HEY, ALL OF YOU!" the Fire Dragon Slayer roared, pointing his finger at the crowd. "LISTEN CAREFULLY. My name is Natsu Dragneel and... I'm going to beat every single one of you, got it?" He smiled as he lowered his arm, feeling relieved. Behind him, Erza also smiled as she looked at her teammate, blushing slightly at his boldness, while Lisanna's crush on Natsu grew after that confident declaration. Outside, Laxus smiled in relief before he left to join his fellow S-class mages at the lounge. However, the majority of the rookies was unimpressed, wondering how many enemies they had just made.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," Gray smirked. "Can you speak a little louder?" He tried hard not to laugh as the mages present glared at Natsu, who simply turned his back and didn't seem worried in the slightest.

"He's a true man!" Elfman exclaimed from where they were sitting. "Good to see you didn't intimidate him, nee-chan."

"Man, that guy's a handful," Mirajane said, scratching her hair. "They say; the weaker you are, the louder you bark. Did you know that, Elfman?" Elfman merely glared at her before turning away, while Loke and Mirajane laughed at him. He was known for rambling on during their jobs and training with Jura.

"It's that kid from before," Aria said. "I think I should teach him a lesson with my Airspace." He was about to go forward when Gajeel held up a hand, shaking his head. The man nodded and sat back down, subdued. Juvia chose not to comment but was impressed by Natsu's confidence, deciding that the pink-haired boy had guts.

"Are you trying to get us killed, Natsu?!" Lucy asked. "You have to think about others as well before you say these kinds of things!"

"Right, right," Natsu said. "I'll keep it in mind." However, he was already forgetting about what Lucy said. Then, the classroom door opened on the other side and a man walked in, flanked by two guards on each side. Immediately, all of the mages looked to the front of the room as Cana entered in a casual manner, smiling at them. Many of the male candidates immediately blushed deeply as they saw Cana's attractive figure.

"Hello there, rookies," Cana said. "My name is Cana Alberona; I'm your proctor for the first phase of the S-class Promotion Trials. Without delay, let's begin. Hand in your application forms to us and we'll set out to where the first stage of the Promotion Trials will take place: the Forest of Death!"


	11. Chapter 11

Hey, guys, these are the S-class Promotion Trials, done the Naruto way. Most of the events will be very similar but, as I've written in the summary, the fights will be different as well as the powers. Not to mention Natsu and Erza will grow closer during these trials, so pay close attention. Feel free to leave a review on what you're liking about the Promotion Trials and of course, I'm always open to any tips for improvement.

**Chapter Eleven: **_The S-class Promotion Trials - Part 1! The Forest of Death!_

"Man, what is this place?" Natsu asked, awestruck. "It's huge!" Cana had brought the mass of assembled mages to the gates of the Forest of Death. While they couldn't see much of the dark forest, the mages could see a few disgusting creatures crawling around the trees. Next to them was a small office where there were some other mages, who had a stack of papers on their desks.

"This is the Forest of Death," Cana said. "Also known as Training Ground #13. This is where the first stage of the S-class Promotion Trials will start; but before I explain to you what's going to happen, you all need to sign those forms. They're permission forms that relieve Fairy Tail's responsibility over your lives since many of you won't be returning from the Forest of Death. Pass them out please." The proctors at the office nodded and took the stack of papers, passing them out to every mage.

"Alright, tell us the rules, sensei," Gray said. "What're we supposed to do?" It suddenly struck the other Fairy Tail mages that Cana was the leader of Team 8, which consisted of Gray, Lisanna, and Max. _So she's their sensei? _Natsu thought, looking at her. _She's quite pretty. _He immediately shook his head, intent on focusing on the trials. Natsu realized that a few guys had also thought of this since they coughed awkwardly and looked away.

"Definitely not the patient one, Gray," Cana smiled. "You'll need to change that quality if you want to become S-class. Now, listen up, rookies! This is going to be a survival exercise over the next three days. First, I'll give you guys a description of the terrain on the practice field; there are 37 locked entrance gates, rivers, and a large forest inside. In the heart of the Forest of Death, there's a red tower, which is 10 kilometres from each gate."

"So we have to get to this tower?" the man in golden armour asked, causing Cana to nod before looking at him for a second.

"That's right," Cana said. "You'll have a total of five days to get to the tower after completing your task. The task is very simple; you will either be given a Heaven or Earth scroll and your job is get the other type of scroll. So, for example, if I start with an Earth scroll, then I have to find somebody with a Heaven scroll and take it from him. However, be careful since the same applies to them, meaning you can get your scroll stolen any time. There's only two rules here that can get you disqualified; one is if a member from your team is unable to continue and two is that you can't peek to find out what's inside the scroll. Are there any questions?" Nobody asked anything so Cana instructed them to sign the permission slips, exchanging them for their scroll.

Erza took her, Natsu's, and Lucy's permission slips and handed them over to a proctor, who gave her a Heaven scroll. She immediately moved away, keeping the scroll low, until she secured a position behind some rocks. _So we have to go after an Earth scroll, _she thought. _This setup's been designed to eliminate many of the teams participating. That means that all these mages are my enemies! I can't afford to drop my guard. _However, around ten minutes later, they were all ready to start and Team 7 went to Gate #12, where no one was standing._  
_

The other teams were also quite spirited; Gray shook his fist at Natsu and Erza before turning to his teammates, clearly excited. Meanwhile, Mirajane stood with her team at Gate #23 and had her cocky smirk on her face, which annoyed Erza and Natsu. Evergreen waved to Erza before glaring at Lucy, while the blonde merely laughed and slung an arm over the red-haired mage's shoulder, which she eventually dropped looking at her expression. However, Ivan, who was dressed up as Alexei, whispered to his subordinates, "Leave them to me."

The guards unlocked the gates and pushed them open, before stepping aside as Cana lit up a card in the air. "Alright, folks," she yelled. "Let the S-class Promotion Trials begin!" Immediately, most of the teams shot into the forest at high speeds while Team 7 simply took their time, going into the forest slowly as Natsu leaped from tree to tree in excitement.

* * *

"If the tower's where people are going to be headed," Gray said. "I think it's probably better if we just head there and lay a trap." Then, he immediately tensed as he heard wood cracking slightly to their left. _So they're already here? _he thought. Gray looked eyes with Max and nodded to him, while the Sand mage simply nodded. He raised his hand and yelled, "**Mutiple Sand Blasts!**" He launched several blasts of sand from his hands, catching the mages off-guard and sending them plummeting to the ground. As they slowly got to their feet coughing, they turned to see Gray there with cold eyes before they screamed into the sky.**  
**

* * *

"Guys, hide!" Freed alerted. Evergreen dashed into the bushes while Freed dragged Bickslow with him. Around a couple of seconds later, a Sylph Labyrinth team appeared, looking around. After a little bit, they vanished into the forest and Team 10 came out of their hiding spot, sighing. "I'm going to go crazy if that's what we have to do for the next five days." Evergreen and Bickslow nodded before they made their way deeper into the woods.

* * *

"Hey, guys," Natsu said, causing them to look at him. "Do you mind if I go take a leak? I'll back in a second." Lucy sighed and nodded, causing Natsu to run into the bushes. The pair waited for a minute or two in awkward silence before the pink-haired Dragon Slayer returned, smiling at them. He nodded and they had begun to walk again when Erza narrowed her eyes, jumping forward and punching Natsu in the jaw.

"Erza-san?!" Lucy yelled in surprise. "W-What are you doing?"

"Yeah, what's this all about?" Natsu asked, wiping his mouth. Then, he quickly dodged to the right as Erza slashed at him, raking the side of a tree. She continued to attack him with the latter barely dodging her attacks, too stunned to properly defend himself. "Watch out, Lucy! I think she's gone nuts!"

"Drop that act, you imposter," Erza said, keeping her sword up. "I know you're not the real Natsu. Nice try with the Transformation Magic, though!"

"Erza-san, what're you talking about?!" Lucy asked, confused. "He's the real Natsu."

"No, he isn't," Erza said. "Natsu has his wristband on his left hand while this guy's got it on his right. Not to mention that this guy's got a cut on his face while Natsu had nothing on his. What have you done with him?" Lucy raised an eyebrow as she wondered how Erza had observed so much about Natsu but dismissed it, turning her attention to the situation at hand. 'Natsu' smirked before his Transformation Magic wore off to reveal a Sylph Labyrinth mage.

"I'm here to take your scroll," he said. "Give it to me!" He shot towards them but Erza requiped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour, rising into the air and shooting off many swords at the mage. He came to a halt and backed away, dodging the blades before shooting towards Erza, who requiped back into her base armour with a sword. They clashed together before the Sylph Labyrinth backed up, moving away with Erza on his trails. Then, she heard Natsu's loud voice and summoned another sword, throwing it at Natsu and accurately cutting his bonds.

"There's no time to be distracted," Hiroshi reprimanded. He came down from above and engaged Erza in another sword-fight, banging swords with her. However, he managed to push her back, eventually ending up behind her. "It's the end of the road for you!" He was about to strike and Erza tried to block it, causing his blade to glance off; however, Hiroshi quickly reached in again with a dagger in his other hand, catching Erza off-guard. Then, a branch exploded in the tree next to them and Natsu hurled a blast of fire at Hiroshi, causing him to back away from Erza. _Nice going, Natsu! _she thought. _I can't hold back against him._

"**Requip,**" Erza declared, her form erupting into light. "**Black Wing Armour.**" She shot out of the smoke towards Hiroshi, parrying his blade, and intercepting his dagger punch. Due to her momentum, Erza was able to push Hiroshi back and crashed him through a few branches, causing him to groan in slight pain. "Don't just stand there, Lucy! Chances are this guy's probably not alone. Make sure his backup doesn't arrive!"

"I was foolish not to bring backup," Hiroshi said bitterly. "Looks like you're not one to take lightly, Fairy Tail mage. I won't make the same mistake next time!" He rebounded off one branch and disappeared into the darkness of the forest, causing Erza to sigh and head back towards the others. She requiped into her regular armour, deciding to talk with his team over an important topic.

* * *

"That proves we can't trust our appearances," Erza said. "Mages can easily use Transformation Magic to fool us. We need to come up with a password that only the three of us know and then, we'll immediately be able to spot who's lying. Get it?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "But what will it be?"

"Alright, I have something," Erza said, looking at them. "Listen carefully since I'm not going to repeat this. The question will be: when does a wizard strike? And the answer will be..." She told them the answer quietly, saying each word quickly but carefully. Lucy nodded as she memorized the password while Natsu gave an uncertain nod.

"Let's keep going," Natsu said, standing up. "We have five days to get an Earth scroll so we'd better get started!" He began walking while the others followed behind him. Then, noise started to come from the other side of the forest before Team 7 was assaulted by a wave of shikigami, which batted against them and sent Natsu flying back into the bushes. The magic destroyed a part of the forest, collapsing trees, and creating a smokescreen; Erza and Lucy both used the smoke to hide themselves.

Once the smoke cleared, they both ran out of the bushes and looked at each other. "Lucy!" Erza said, raising a sword. "When does a wizard strike?"

"Oh, right," Lucy said, invoking her good memory. "A mage waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his magic lies forgotten in his mind, _that _is the moment for a mage to strike." Erza nodded and lowered her blade, relieved that Lucy wasn't an imposter. Then, the bushes rustled before Natsu joined them noisily.

"Don't come any closer!" Lucy said. "First, answer the question: when does a wizard strike?" Erza turned to look at Natsu, who smiled.

"Oh, the password," Natsu said. "Alright, a mage waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his magic lies forgotten in mind, _that _is the moment for a mage to strike." Lucy nodded, relieved that Natsu had remembered it, while Erza narrowed her eyes and threw her sword at Natsu. The pink-haired boy gasped in surprise and dodged to the left, evading the blade.

"Gotta hand it to you," Erza gritted her teeth. "You're quicker than the last one was." Natsu got up, confused at why Erza had attacked him when he had gotten the password right, which also puzzled Lucy.

"Why did you do that, Erza-san?" Lucy asked. "He got the password right!"

"Exactly," Erza said. "Do you really think an idiot like Natsu would remember the password, word for word? He'd probably be able to recite the first few words! Not to mention Natsu would never be able to dodge my sword without warning like that. Alright, you failed, who are you?" A smile appeared on Natsu's face before the Transformation Magic disappeared to reveal Alexei, or Ivan, the man in golden armour and cape.

"Aren't we the clever one?" Ivan laughed. "Tell me, if your teammate is really that dimwitted, why would you come up with a password that he'd never be able to remember?"

"You see, it wasn't for Natsu," Erza said. "No, the reason I made the password like that was to see if there were any enemies around, eavesdropping on us. Looks like you fell right in the trap, huh?"

"I'm impressed, girl," Ivan said. "You certainly haven't dropped your guard, have you? This will definitely be an exciting match!" He began laughing strangely, causing Lucy to shudder at the man's creepiness. _Where is Natsu? _she thought. Ivan took out his Earth scroll and looked pointedly at Erza, who was holding her Heaven scroll.

"We need that Heaven scroll of yours," Ivan said before looking at Erza's look. "Oh, wouldn't you love to get your hands on our Earth scroll? Too bad that won't be happening." Having said that, he put away his Earth scroll and released his Magic power in a concentrated burst, targeting only Erza and Lucy. Immediately, they began to shake as the large Magic power made their knees wobbly. It was so much worse than when Laxus fought Mystogan in their first battle.

_W-What t-the hell... is this? _Erza thought as she realized she couldn't move. _I've never felt like this before. _Next to him, Lucy was shaking in fear as Ivan's Magic power isolated every muscle in her body. Erza dropped her sword and collapsed to her knees, coughing up on the ground. The evil in Ivan's Magic power overwhelmed her and she could clearly sense the armoured man's thirst for blood. She turned to see that Lucy had begun to cry slightly, realizing the blonde had it worse than her. _We need to get away from him, _the red-haired mage thought.

* * *

"Who are you?" Natsu asked, pointing a finger at Ivan. "Where's my team?"

"Where's your team, you ask?" Ivan laughed. "Maybe I'll tell you if you beat me." However, he was only a Thought Projection sent to deal with the Dragon Slayer while the real one took on Erza and Lucy.

"Alright, I'll beat you up," Natsu declared. "**Fire Dragon's Roar.**" He released a massive fire at Ivan, whose eyes widened slightly. _So the boy uses Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, huh? _he chuckled, thinking about Gajeel. _This might be interesting. _Ivan quickly covered himself in a barrier of shikigami, not allowing the Dragon's Roar to affect him. As his paper dolls cleared, Ivan realized that Natsu had disappeared, before sensing him in the air.

"LOOK ABOVE YOU," Natsu's voice came. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" He threw a fire-enhanced punch at Ivan, who didn't move to avoid it. However, the attack went right through him, surprising Natsu. Suddenly, five Ivans swirled around Natsu, confusing him. _What is this? _he thought. _Illusion Magic? _The Fire Dragon Slayer covered himself in flames and released them, breaking through the illusion but not before Ivan kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying through two trees.

* * *

"Paralysed with fear?" Ivan asked, smiling under his helm. "It always happens. And soon, the predator will gobble up the prey. Don't worry too much; it'll be quick!" He began walking towards them, covering a hand in shikigami. Erza used every ounce of her willpower to pick her sword up and slowly get to her feet before she froze again as she looked at Ivan's head. Lucy had made no progress as she sat on the ground like before.

_Damn, he's coming closer, _Erza thought. _Move. Move. Move. MOVE! _Ivan released two little blasts of his paper dolls at them but Erza quickly slashed herself in her ankle, between the chinks of her armour. The pain immediately jarred her back to her senses and Erza quickly grabbed Lucy before disappearing behind the tree, surprising Ivan.

_So she used pain to resist my Magic power? _Ivan thought, grinning evilly. _That's a new one; nobody's done that before. _Behind the tree, the two were protected from Ivan's Magic power so Lucy started to move again. "Erza!" Lucy gasped. "The wound's deep; will you be alright?" She quickly dropped her sword and put a hand over Lucy's mouth, looking from the edge of the tree. Then, a shadow appeared next to her, and Lucy turned to see a horde of golden-armoured men dropping towards them.

* * *

"That was sorta disappointing," Ivan said. "I expected more from Laxus' student, even a failure." A vein popped in Natsu's forehead and he made a signal with his hand, causing Ivan to raise his eyebrows. "What're you doing, brat?"

"Take a look behind you," Natsu said, causing Ivan to whirl around. He flickered away and the real Natsu came at him with fists covered in flames. He punched him twice in the face before kicking him in the gut, pushing him back. "Let's do this again: **Fire Dragon's Roar.**" Ivan immediately realized that when he had defended against Natsu's first attack, the latter had made a Thought Projection to jump into the air and continue the fight while he hid behind.

He released another torrent of burning flames at Ivan, catching him off guard. The flames licked at his armour before his image flickered and disappeared, causing Natsu's eyes to widen that he was getting overpowered by simply a Thought Projection. _I need to find the others, _he thought. _There's no time to waste! _Natsu immediately took to the trees and used his smell to identify Erza's nice scent.

* * *

"ERZA!" Lucy screamed. "He's here! Watch out!" Erza immediately turned and saw the Ivans head towards them, immediately backed away. They pulverized the ground where Erza and Lucy were. Then, they charged towards Erza, who was in mid-air; the red-haired mage panicked and requiped into her Giant's Armour, throwing a projectile at them. It exploded around them but they simply dissipated away, showing that they were only Thought Projections. Erza requiped into her base armour and stood on a branch, panting tiredly.

"I sense your fear and desperation," Ivan said, amusedly, from a tree. "It's quite natural; none of you have ever been in this type of environment before, have you?" Then, with blinding speed, he shot towards Erza with an outstretched hand aimed for her neck; the red-haired mage's eyes widened and she realized she couldn't move fast enough to move away.

Then, Ivan came to a halt as a blast of fire destroyed the branch in front of him, creating a rift between him and Erza. "Looks like I came just in time," Natsu exclaimed, grinning madly. "By the way... what was that password again?" Lucy cheered in happiness as the pink-haired Dragon Slayer arrived at the scene. She had been hoping when he would arrive and the blonde was sure that if they teamed up, they could take down Ivan.

"Natsu!" Erza roared, looking at him. "What're you doing here? You don't know what you're up against! Get away from here!" She tried to tell him what was happening through her eyes but Natsu just frowned at her before turning his gaze at Ivan, confirming that it was _his _Thought Projection he'd been fighting a while ago.

"So, Natsu-chan," Ivan said. "Looks like you took care of my Thought Projection. Nice job!" He started laughing to himself, causing Natsu to raise an eyebrow at the man. _What's with this guy? _the pink-haired Dragon Slayer thought before casting his mind to Erza. _More importantly, what's wrong with her? Why should I run away?_

"Alright, listen up!" Natsu yelled, pointing his finger at Ivan. "You've been picking on my teammates and I don't like that. So, if you don't want me to make you swallow your paper dolls, you'd better leave!" Erza gritted her teeth as she mentally cursed the Dragon Slayer for his stupidity, completely sure that he didn't know what he was up against. To her, only one thing came to her mind and Erza took the opportunity.

"You can have it," Erza said, catching Ivan's attention. "You want our Heaven scroll, right? Let's compromise on something; we give you our Heaven scroll and you leave us in peace. How does that grab you?"

"Very good," Ivan said slyly. "Looks like you're thinking this through, Erza-chan." Erza ignored the sarcastic suffix to her name while Lucy shuddered at the thought. However, Natsu was completely livid, wondering what was wrong with the red-haired mage.

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING, ERZA?!" Natsu roared. "Are you just going to give him the scroll like that?"

"SHUT UP AND STAY OUT OF THIS," Erza shouted back. "You just came along; you have no idea what's been going on, idiot!" She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out the Heaven scroll, shocking her teammates. Then, Erza looked at Ivan for a couple of seconds before she threw it towards him. The man scoffed and held out his hand when Natsu quickly jumped towards it, catching it in the nick of time.

"Stop trying to be the hero, Natsu!" Erza yelled. "Just butt out of this and leave it to me. You're going-"

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Natsu shouted, causing Erza to stop in surprise. "YOU'RE DEFINITELY AN IMPOSTER! The Erza I know is a brave and courageous girl, who would NEVER give in to the enemy's wishes. I may not know the password... but I know that you're not Erza of Team 7!" His speech made Erza stammer in shock while Lucy was confused, looking between the two. Ivan merely snickered as he watched the two argue, wondering what his son had done to improve their teamwork.

"This was very interesting to watch," Ivan said, amusedly. "However, nothing has changed; I'm just going to kill you and take the scroll!" His Magic power re-appeared, this time shooting upwards and illuminating him. However, Natsu was too angry to be scared and he charged towards Ivan with his right hand covered in flames. Ivan decided that he used Fire Magic but wanted the fight to interesting so he didn't use Water Magic spells, instead creating three Thought Projections to intercept the pink-haired boy.

Natsu swung his fist at one, who quickly dodged the strike before kicking at him. He managed to dodge it but another slammed his elbow in Natsu's face, causing him to back away in pain. The third Ivan covered his fist in paper dolls and tried to punch him in the gut but Natsu blocked the shot with his own hand, the force of the attack sending him into the air.

* * *

"This isn't good," Jet said as he analysed the bodies. Around two hours after the first test had started, the proctors had found three bodies dead near a buddha, which had blood on it. "I don't know what type of magic this is, either. I'll go and fetch Cana." He got up and disappeared using High Speed, while Droy and Nab just looked at the scene in trepidation.

"A buddha shouldn't be treated like this," Nab said. "I wonder what's going on."

"Me too," Droy sighed. "The Promotion Trials were going so wonderfully and this just had to happen."

Cana was going to open a new bottle of beer when Jet appeared in front of her. "We've got a problem, ma'am," Jet said. "We've found three corpses and I think you need to take a look at them."

"Why me?" Cana protested. "Can't you see I'm busy right now?"

"You're not even doing anything," Jet said, his eyebrow ticking. "In any case, this concerns you and the S-class Promotion Trials. There's something strange about these corpses." Cana looked at him for a second before nodding, jumping down from the roof of the office. Jet took her hand and used his High Speed to transport them to the location.

"I went through their backpacks," Droy said when they arrived. "Their IDs show that they're mages from Southern Wolves." The three mages didn't have any clothes except for their underwear, showing that the imposters had stolen their clothes. Cana's eyebrows trembled as she wondered who would do such a thing, taking their IDs and looking at them. Her eyes widened as she realized that the corpse in the middle was dressed in golden armour, which she remembered one of the mages was wearing when they asked her a question.

"They were all registered for the S-class Promotion Trials," Nab continued. "The two on the side were killed by stab wounds while the one in the middle has multiple wounds on his body. And we've also found this." He moved to the body and turned it, showing a paper doll sticking to the corpse's back. Cana's eyes widened in horror as she realized who they were dealing with. _There's no doubt about it, _Cana thought. _It's **his **magic. But what's **he** doing at the Promotion Trials?_

"Alright, listen to me," Cana said, surprising them with the panic in her eyes. "Tell Master exactly what happened here! Meanwhile, I'm gonna head in after these guys. Now, go!" They nodded and immediately headed off towards Guild Headquarters while Cana thought back to her past with Ivan and Gildarts before going over to the Forest of Death, hoping to catch Ivan before he caused trouble.

* * *

As Natsu was sent through the air, Ivan appeared above him and quickly kicked him in the gut, sending him plummeting down, crashing through several branches. The man shook his head before sending a wave of shikigami to finish him off. "It's over for you, nuisance," Ivan said. "**Shikigami Dark Bomb.**" The shikigami gathered into a sphere, glowing with purple energy, before it released a wave of magic at Natsu.

_He's so strong, _Natsu thought, quite close to blacking out. _Looks like I couldn't match him. This fight- _His eyes immediately widened as he recalled Erza's cowardly words earlier and how she had been ready to give up the scroll. Natsu gritted his teeth as he remembered Ivan's words from earlier, labelling him a failure. His rage came back tenfold and Natsu roared, surprising everyone present there as the Dragon Slayer seemingly returned to life.

"NOT SO FAST," Natsu roared, rebounding off a tree. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" He punched at Ivan's attack, clashing with it for a second before blocking the large wave of energy, and surprising the others. _So the boy uses Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, huh? _Ivan thought, surprised. _Gajeel's also taking these trials. Things are getting very interesting!_

"Where did he get that kind of power all of a sudden?" Lucy asked in amazement. "Look at him go." Erza was completely speechless as he saw Natsu use his Flames of Emotion. Natsu's pupils became dilated and his hands were covered in orbs of fire. He shot towards him and burned down waves of shikigami as Ivan threw them at him, roaring as he did it. Then, when Ivan was finished, Natsu charged towards him and punched him, although it went through him.

"Nice try, brat," Ivan's voice came from above. Natsu turned and was immediately assaulted by a wave of shikigami, causing him to crash through two branches and fall onto the third. Ivan looked at him for a second before realizing that the pink-haired boy didn't know how to properly control his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, chuckling in his mind at Laxus for not teaching Natsu anything about his magic.

"Is that really Natsu?" Erza said to herself as she watched the scene unfold. "I-It c-can't be."

"Now, let's see how well you do, Erza-chan," Ivan said, turning his attention to her. "**Shikigami Torrent.**" He shot a torrent of shikigami at her, which multiplied into many waves at Erza. Her eyes widened as she froze in fear, watching as the paper dolls came closer. Lucy screamed at her to move but Erza couldn't find the strength to move away, Ivan's Magic power affecting her.**  
**

Suddenly, Natsu appeared in front of her, covered in flames, and used his fist to knock aside several waves of shikigami before he was assaulted by the paper dolls, getting a few cuts on his back. "Hey, Erza," Natsu said, looking at her. "Next time we face an enemy like this, do me a favour and just run." Erza's eyes widened as she remembered them as the words she'd said to Natsu, after she and Laxus had taken down the mages from Naked Mummy, on their journey to Hargeon.

"W-What did you say?" Erza asked, not believing her eyes. Those were the words she had never imagined Natsu would say to her.

"You heard me," Natsu growled, "standing there frozen like a frightened rabbit. No way! There's no way you're the Erza I know." As Erza and Lucy thought about his words, Ivan wrapped his shikigami around Natsu, carrying him into the air while the Dragon Slayer flailed around.

"I've lost interest in you," Ivan admitted. "It's time to end this." He brought Natsu closer to him before punching the pink-haired boy in the gut, causing him to gasp in pain and knocking him out. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer dropped the Heaven scroll at his feet, causing him to smile. Then, Ivan used his shikigami to throw Natsu away and he would've fell to his death if Lucy hadn't summoned Sagittarius, who fired an arrow that pinned Natsu's coat to the tree. Lucy thanked him quickly before he disappeared, but not before noting her distressed state.

"What's wrong with you, Erza?!" Lucy demanded, not adding the suffix to her name. "Say what you like about Natsu; that he's a pest, annoying, irritates you, and gets in the way. But... at least, he's given it his all! At least... he's not a coward!" Erza closed her eyes, thinking back to the night and Jellal's twisted smile. _Foolish girl, _he had said. _You're too weak to face me; what's the point right now? So keep running, keep clinging to your life, and then... come face me when you're at my level!_

"**Requip,**" Erza shouted. "**Black Wing Armour.**" She changed into her Black Wing Armour, holding up her blade, ready for combat. _That's more like it, _Lucy thought, smiling. _Looks like I got to her! _Ivan smirked as he realized that Erza was finally getting serious, deciding to play around with the red-haired mage until he learned the full extent of her powers. He had a present for her at the end of the fight, although that depended on whether she was strong enough or not.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys, what's up? I haven't been uploading a chapter for some time; well, that's because this chapter is probably the longest I've ever done. It took me a lot of time and effort to pool everything together and I hope you enjoy it. Leave a review if you like it and I'll come back in a few days with Chapter 13!

**Chapter Twelve:** _Surviving the Forest of Death.__  
_

"You've stole something precious to me," Erza said, fixing Ivan with a glare. "I'll make you pay for it! Let's go!" She charged towards Ivan with great speed, while the man simply smiled. He released another torrent of shikigami at her but Erza took to the air, dodging them before requiping into her Heaven's Wheel Armour. She summoned a dozen swords and used her mind to shoot them towards Ivan, whose eyes widened slightly before he surrounded himself in a sphere of shikigami. The swords penetrated into his defence but didn't manage to dent it.

Then, Erza quickly summoned two swords before rushing towards Ivan. "Take this!" she roared. "**Trinity Sword.**" Erza slashed with her swords and directed a magical blast towards Ivan, destroying the sphere. Then, her eyes widened as the attack passed through the paper dolls before the sphere vanished. _It's his Illusion Magic, _Erza realized and heard Ivan behind her. She quickly requiped into her Giant's Armour and made a cross with her arms, blocking Ivan's punch. Then, Erza grabbed his arm before throwing him at a tree.

"I hope that's not all you've got!" Erza shouted. "We're just getting started!"

"True," Ivan mused. "But I wonder if you can keep up." He covered himself in a whirlwind of paper dolls, destroying the branch they were standing on. Erza jumped into the air, in her Black Wing Armour, and flew to the right as debris flew past her. Then, a strategy formed in her mind before Erza shot towards Ivan, sword poised to break his armour. Ivan looked at her before expertly manoeuvring to the right, causing her to fly past him and right into a wall of shikigami. But Erza quickly released her own Magic power, destroying the paper dolls before requiping into her Giant's Armour. She turned and threw her lance at Ivan, sending him flying back and creating an explosion.

"My plan didn't work," Erza said to herself. "But this'll do!" Then her eyes widened as she heard laughing from behind her; Erza quickly turned and met with a punch to the gut, cracking her Giant's Armour and pushing her back. _I got careless, _she thought. _He left a Thought Projection behind! _Erza got to her feet and requiped into her normal armour, wondering what Ivan would do next.

"You should have seen that coming, Erza-chan," Ivan mocked. "What a disappointment you turned out to be! I should kill you now." He walked towards her and shook his head, wondering if that was all she had. Unbeknownst to him, Erza was using her mind to control a sword and, at that moment, she pulled her hand. The sword flew towards Ivan, breaking his armour and stabbing him in the back. The man howled in pain before Erza swiftly got to her feet. She kicked Ivan in the gut, pushing him back.

"And you should've seen that coming," Erza said, requiping into her Heaven's Wheel Armour. "**Blumenblatt!**" She charged at Ivan with two swords in hand, slashing at him. He managed to dodge her strikes and let her pass him before his eyes widened at the barrage of swords Erza had summoned beforehand. They were launched at him, stabbing him and creating a smokescreen. Then, Erza quickly requiped into her Giant's Armour and threw another projectile at Ivan, causing another explosion to envelop the man.

Then, having used up so much magic, Erza fell to her knees as her Magic power dropped sharply, starting to pant heavily. _She's all used up, _Lucy thought. She made her way towards Erza although her legs still felt heavy from Ivan's Magic power. The red-haired mage coughed on the ground before falling back, unable to stand up. "I overdid it a little," she said to herself. Then, the smoke cleared to reveal to reveal Ivan with his armour cracking in multiple places, namely his helmet.

"You're quite strong, Erza-chan," Ivan laughed, releasing his Magic power. "I've had fun fighting with you!" Erza's eyes widened as she realized that Ivan was still in perfect fighting condition, her knees shaking. Lucy immediately came to a halt as Ivan's Magic power forced her to the ground, overwhelmed once again. "I can see you have even more potential than Jellal."

"WHO ARE YOU?" Erza asked, wondering how Ivan knew about Jellal. "What do you want?!" Ivan laughed evilly before he began walking towards Erza, talking Team 7's Heaven scroll out his coat pocket.

"My name is Ivan," Ivan explained, holding the scroll in his palm. "But as to what I want... that will have to wait until you finish this test." His hand was covered in Darkness Magic, causing the scroll to wither and rip apart in his hand. _What type of magic is that? _Erza thought. _Wasn't he going all out against me? Just how strong is this guy? _Then, her eyes widened as Ivan shot towards her with frightening speed while Erza unsuccessfully tried to get to her feet. He summoned magic to his fingers, which glowed in purple energy, before tapping Erza on the left shoulder.

"W-What is this?" Erza stuttered as she grasped her arm in pain. "W-What're y-you-" She never finished since her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed to the ground, knocked out. Lucy screamed in fear and turned to look at Ivan, who merely chuckled evilly. He waved at her before disappearing into the forest, having won for the day. _Now that I've given her the Purgatory, _Ivan thought. _There's no way she won't come to me for power!_

* * *

_He's close by, _Cana thought as she jumped from branch to branch. _I can feel it. Why is he here though? Why now? _She intended on defeating Ivan and bringing him to Guild Headquarters, where Makarov would question him. Cana gritted her teeth as she remembered her painful past with Ivan, where he had pretended to be nice to her and trained her before revealing his true colours. She would have died if Gildarts, who was actually her father, hadn't arrived before the experiment and caused Ivan to retreat after a battle.

Ivan was on his right knee, panting as the golden armour crumbled down his body. He grabbed the plates and tore them off, grumbling at how hot he felt inside the suit. Then, he smiled as he turned to see Cana standing several feet away from him, glaring at Ivan. "Well, well, Cana," he chuckled. "It's been a while. Did you bring anything for me?"

"This is no time for jokes!" Cana exclaimed, pointing her finger at him. "You're exiled from Fairy Tail; you're not supposed to be in Magnolia after what you did, you bastard. Not to mention you're a criminal! It's only fitting that I take you down... right, sensei?" She brought out her deck of cards, while Ivan just shook his head amusedly.

"Looks like you're still the same, Cana," Ivan said. "You were always too weak. I thought you would be strong enough to handle the Purgatory but the preliminary tests I had carried out on you suggested that you weren't strong enough." He smiled as he saw the shocked expression on Cana's face, deciding not to tell her that he was only lying; it had actually been Keith who had done the experiments. Ivan had never been much of a scientist, truth be told.

"That's it!" Cana trembled in anger. "It's time to take you down!" She shot a few cards at Ivan, as if they were shuriken, but he easily dodged them. Then, Cana took out three cards and spoke, "**Summoned Lightning.**" Green bolts of lightning flew out of her cards and came at Ivan, whose eyebrows twitched as he was reminded of Laxus' Lightning Magic. Ivan raised his hand and surrounded himself in shikigami, the paper dolls protecting him against the lightning.**  
**

"Is that all you have, Cana-chan?" Ivan mocked. "I expected more. What are all these cards for?"

"You talk too much, sensei," Cana berated. "I'll gladly shut that mouth of yours." Having said that, she took two cards and combined them before waving it. Suddenly, a gust of wind shot towards Ivan, pushing him back slightly. He was about to gloat when he realized Cana had disappeared. Then, she came from the side and struck the ground with a card, causing several beams of water to fly out and hit Ivan. "**The Prayer's Fountain,**" she said. Then, her eyes widened as Ivan disappeared in smoke.

"That was my Illusion Magic," Ivan said, causing Cana to whirl around. "**Shikigami Torrent.**" He used one of his trademark moves and several blasts of shikigami assaulted her, before multiplying into more. She was pushed back into the trunk of a tree before Cana slumped to the ground. Ivan sighed before walking towards her, deciding to tell her about his purpose of being in Fairy Tail's S-class Promotion Trials. "So you're one of Fairy Tail's S-class mages, huh?" he asked, smiling. "How many years did that take you?"

"Shut up!" Cana yelled, throwing a card at him. He easily caught it, before dropping it. "What're you doing here? Why're you in the Promotion Trials?"

"I'm so disappointed, Cana," Ivan said. "I expected a friendly reception after all this time. After all, how many years has it been since-"

"Don't tell me," Cana said, quickly changing the subject. "You've come here to assassinate Master, haven't you?!"

"No, not yet," Ivan said somewhat sadly. "I don't have enough followers to attempt that. But I've heard such good things about this guild that I decided to pay a visit." Cana charged at him, swinging her fist at him wildly, but Ivan merely dodged her blow before tapping her on the stomach. She immediately froze as a red snake-like pattern covered her body, causing Cana to realize it was a Bind Snake.

"You still use these things?" Cana asked. "These stupid seals?"

"Oh, don't call them stupid," Ivan said. "Not long ago, I managed to successfully put the Purgatory on a young woman. She's a very promising prospect, indeed! She'll be a fine collection to my guild."

"Your guild?" Cana asked, struggling against the Bind Snake. "So Master was right! And this girl will probably die before she serves you."

"I have to grant the old man some credit," Ivan said. "I didn't think he'd learn that. Indeed, the girl's chances of surviving the Purgatory are quite slim: one in ten, to be quite exact. However, she also has immense willpower and might actually be able to survive the process... unlike you, who was never really ready for the Purgatory."

"Sounds like you want to recruit her quickly," Cana smiled. "Is that it?"

"Sounds like you're jealous," Ivan chuckled, rubbing Cana's hair. "You haven't been able to forget, have you? You just can't forget about me using you and then, tossing you aside. In fact, this girl has much more potential than you had at her age; she's one of the only people, if not the only one, to have escaped the Tower of Heaven. Not to mention, her Requip and Sword Magic skills are very good and unique, something which my guild craves for. Whatever happens... make sure nothing stops the trials from ending early, got it?" He smiled at her confused face before leaving the scene.

* * *

"Alright," Mirajane said, looking at her teammates. "That's enough resting up. The other teams will be calling it a day soon; that means now is the best time to strike. We'll split up and fan out to look for the Earth scroll. Got it?"

"Right," Elfman said, getting up. "But where do we meet up?"

"At this exact spot," Mirajane said, channelling magic to her finger tips. She drew a large triangle in the middle. "Whatever happens, whether we encounter another team or not, we'll come back at this place."

"Alright," Loke said, finishing his water. "Let's go!" The three of them immediately scattered, taking to the trees in search for the Earth scroll.

* * *

"I've found you guys," Mirajane said, facing a line of bushes. "Stop hiding and come out!" Team 10's eyes widened as they tried not to run away; it was clear to them that Mirajane could easily follow them and defeat them without breaking a sweat. Freed cursed himself before going out to meet the white-haired girl, wondering how he would get away from the situation. After him, Evergreen and Bickslow followed.

"Oh, it's Mirajane," Freed said, trying to butter her. "Last year's number one rookie mage; wow, I can tell you're really strong!"

"Yeah, I agree," Bickslow said, going with him. "I'm actually a big fan of yours. Can I get your autograph?"

"I'm also a huge fan," Evergreen said. "I bet you could teach me so many things! I can't wait until we start hanging out."

"Me... hang out with you?" Mirajane made a disgusted face, turning away. "You three are a waste of my time. Get lost!" She began to walk away, causing Freed and Bickslow to raise their eyebrows. However, it didn't sit well with Evergreen.

_She thinks she's so cool! _Evergreen thought, shaking her fist at Mirajane. _She's probably not even that strong. I could probably... _Then, she froze as Mirajane turned, fixing her with a piercing stare. It penetrated into her soul and scared her, causing her to take a few steps backward. Freed began to sweat at the girl's power, wondering if they were any match for her.

"Did you just raise your fist to me?" Mirajane asked, smirking. "Does that mean you wanna fight me?"

"No way!" Bickslow said, shaking his hand. "She didn't mean it like that, I assure you."

"Just run away," Mirajane said. "Even if I were to steal a scroll from you cowardly wimps, everyone would just laugh at me. So scurry off like cockroaches!" They did just that, running back into the bushes. The white-haired mage just shook her head amusedly before leaving the area, wondering if she would get to fight some strong adversaries. _Unlike Erza Scarlet, _Mirajane thought, thinking back to how much of a disappointment the fight had been.

* * *

Lucy awoke with a start, her heart thudding. _It was just a dream, _the blonde thought as she realized she had fell asleep. _More like a nightmare! _After their battle with Ivan, Lucy had gotten Erza and Natsu to the base of a tree; here, she had set them down and was looking over them. While Natsu had been knocked out, Erza kept writhing in pain and her left arm was limp at her side. One thing she failed to notice, quite fortunately, was that Erza held Natsu's hand throughout the whole process.

"Hello there," Nullpudding said, causing Lucy to turn around in surprise. "Looks like you don't need to keep watch anymore, now that we're here. Wake Erza Scarlet up! We want to fight her." Next to him, Flare smiled nastily at Lucy, causing her to shudder slightly, while Obra stood mutely. _You'll never get him! _Lucy thought, her hand reaching for her Celestial Spirit Keys before deciding to talk for a little bit.

"What do you want here?!" Lucy asked indignantly. "I know Ivan's the one giving you orders. What's that bruise on Erza's arm? You're behind that too, aren't you? And now, you want to fight her when she can't defend herself?!" Their eyes widened as they wondered how Lucy had come to know that Ivan was calling the shots behind the thing.

"What in the world could he be thinking?" Nullpudding said to himself. "In any case, I can't stay quiet after hearing you talk to us that way. First, we're going to take care of you and then... I'm going to kill Erza." He jumped down from the rock he was sitting, looking at Lucy with evil beady eyes. Then, the three of them launched themselves at Lucy, ready to take out the blonde. She reached for her Celestial Spirit Keys but, believe it or not, Lucy was still under the small remains of Ivan's Magic power and that made her actions slow.

However, at that moment, Loke appeared in front of her and yelled, "**Twister.**" He waved his hand and a swirling tornado caught the three Raven Tail mages, pushing them backwards. While they hadn't taken any damage, the trio were slightly wary as they looked at their new adversary. "And who might you be?" Flare asked, looking at the orange-haired mage.

"My name is Loke," Loke answered. "I'm from Fairy Tail's Team 9. You lot attracted my attention and I decided to help this pretty lady out." Lucy blushed slightly at the compliment while the Raven Tail mages weren't impressed.

"Obra," Nullpudding said, handing him their Earth scroll. "Hold this for me. Let's take care of these losers quickly before we fight Erza. They won't pose a problem." _Not if they use magic, _he added in his thoughts. Nullpudding charged towards Loke, who fingered his ring before sending another storm towards Nullpudding. However, to his shock, his spell merely dissipated and Nullpudding continued running up to him.

"W-What happened?" Loke asked himself. "Why didn't my Ring Magic work?"

"It's useless!" Nullpudding exclaimed. "From this point on, your magic is useless." His hands became covered in needles, like a pufferfish, and small spikes protruded from his skin. He punched at Loke, whose eyes widened a little before the ground below his feet pushed upwards, causing Nullpudding's attack to miss and hit the extending the earth. _What?! _the evil man thought. _But he's not supposed to be able to use any magic! _Nullpudding turned to Obra, who merely tilted his head slightly.

"What were you saying?" Loke called from above. "Looks like it's working!" Then, the ground suddenly lost its shape and Loke fell to the ground, crying in pain. Nullpudding chuckled before walking over to Loke, raising his transformed fist. _Why are none of Loke's spells working? _Lucy thought. Then, Loke tapped another one of his rings and a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky. However, to their shock, Nullpudding moved to the side and dodged it before kneeing Loke in the face, breaking his glasses.

"It's over for you, tough guy," Nullpudding laughed. He raised his fist and punched Loke in the gut, making a few bruises before sending him flying into a tree. "You never really had a chance, get it?" He charged towards Loke, who quickly tapped another ring, causing a massive tidal wave of erupt from his body and push Nullpudding back. Then, like before, the water suddenly disappeared and Nullpudding continued towards the now-exhausted Ring mage. "Time to end this meaningless battle, don't you think?"

"**Beast Arm: Iron Bull,**" Elfman roared as he smashed his transformed into Obra's back, slamming him into the ground. "The battles' over for you!" He grabbed Obra's body and threw him into the air, sending him flying away. Nullpudding gulped in surprise as he saw Elfman walk towards him, his arm turning to normal. However, the man had a pissed off look on his face. "You guys sure play dirty."

"Where did you come from?" Nullpudding asked. "And how did you realize Obra was blocking the runt's magic?"

"It's actually really simple," Elfman said, coming to a stop. "I've been hiding in the forest for a while and noticed how you looked at the guy after Loke used another ring for magic. I put two and two together and realized he was probably the reason why Loke's Ring Magic kept getting cancelled out." Lucy's eyes widened as she realized that Mirajane's claim about Elfman's strength but actually be true. Loke merely smiled before getting up, brushing his pants.

"Thanks for the help, Elfman," Loke said. "Leave it to you to find out the opponent's tricks. Now, let's get them together!"

"Sit this one out, Loke," Elfman said, surprising him. "They've got some unique abilities and your Magic power has gone down seriously. I'll hold them off while you go get Mira, okay?" He looked at Loke meaningfully while the orange-haired mage reluctantly nodded before disappearing into the woods. Then, Elfman turned to Nullpudding, completely serious.

"So it's just you now?" Nullpudding asked, chuckling. "You're quite the tough guy, aren't you? You really think you can handle us?"

"I won't know until I try," Elfman barked. "That's what a man does! **Beast Arm: Black Bull.**" His right arm became thicker and became black like a bull's hide; Lucy wondered what type of magic he was using. Nullpudding merely chuckled before his hands erupted into spikes and he charged towards Elfman, ready to finish him. However, Elfman dodged to the side before punching at Nullpudding's face, stopping a second before since the latter's face had exploded into needles. Elfman quickly backed up, wondering how he would take Nullpudding.

"Experiencing some trouble?" Nullpudding mocked. "What happened to that attitude from before?" Then, his eyes widened as Elfman began to laugh. _Looks like I have to use that form, _he thought. Jura had instructed him not to use it unless it was completely necessary but against an opponent like Nullpudding, Elfman would have to use a Takeover with immense durability.

"I haven't even gotten serious yet," Elfman barked. "With this next spell, I'll take you down like a man! **Beast Soul: Lizardman!**" His whole body glowed with yellow light while he released his Magic power. _T-That's some Magic power, _Lucy thought. _I underestimated him... _She cursed herself for thinking so little about Natsu, then Elfman, and even Loke. When the light cleared, Elfman was completely transformed from head-to-toe: he was covered in dark-green scales all over his body and his silver hair had grown. Elfman's face had become reptilian and his eyes were slitted, not to mention he had jagged teeth like a crocodile.

"What is this?" Nullpudding asked. "You look like an animal! I'm disappointed. **Needle Blast!**" He smashed a needle-covered fist into Elfman's left arm but, to everybody's extreme shock, his spikes completely shattered and fell to the floor. Nullpudding gave a cry of pain before he backed up, clutching his swollen hand. Elfman merely grinned, infuriating Nullpudding and causing him to punch Elfman with his other hand. However, the same result occurred and Nullpudding's left hand was bruised as well.

"You shouldn't have gotten so cocky," Elfman said. "Now, it's time to destroy you!" He cocked his fist back before his eyes widened as Flare's red hair grabbed his hand. Elfman tried to get free before her hair quickly grabbed his other limbs, pulling and causing him to lose his balance. Elfman was immediately on the floor, trying to get free. Flare laughed sadistically before sending more of her hair towards Elfman, completely entangling him. She began whirling him around, causing the white-haired mage to get dizzy and lose his concentration.

"Follow your own advice!" Flare laughed. "It's time to die." Elfman couldn't keep up his Takeover and eventually released his Beast Soul, causing him to revert back to his original structure. The red-haired girl smirked before her hair caught fire, burning Elfman before sending him flying into a tree. Elfman groaned in pain as he fell to the floor, holding his body. Lucy's mouth fell before she looked in amazement at the two, _WHAT are these guys?_

"You can't fight us," Nullpudding said. "Raven Tail has magic that you Fairy Tail mages will always be weak to. You never had a chance in the first place!" He laughed before turning his attention to Lucy, causing her to back away in panic. Nullpudding rubbed his sore hands before using his Needle Magic to empower them, charging towards Lucy.

"**Gate of the Bull! I open thee!**" Lucy declared, taking out the correct key. "**Taurus!**" She made an unlocking gesture with her Celestial Spirit Key, summoning Taurus, who immediately appeared and charged towards Nullpudding. Taurus swung his axe at Nullpudding, who managed to dodge the strike before striking the Celestial Spirit in the gut, causing him to double back and disappear.

"You should really work on becoming stronger," Nullpudding lectured. "How do you expect your Spirits to use their full strength if you're so weak? You should have trained harder, girl! And now... you're going to pay for it." He laughed evilly before shooting towards Lucy, intending to kill her. Lucy's eyes widened and her heartbeat quickened. _I need to do something! _she thought. _But what?!_

"Hang on a second!" Flare said, causing Nullpudding to stop and Lucy's eyes to brighten. "Nullpudding-sama, what's the hurry? Let's play with her a little; it'll also give Erza some initiative to fight us." Nullpudding nodded and stepped back, allowing Flare to take his place. Lucy cursed herself for thinking she'd get out of the situation so easily. Flare's hair shot towards Lucy, who immediately tried to dodge to the right but her hair simply followed, catching up to the blonde and grabbing her legs.

"L-Let g-go of me!" Lucy shrieked. "I've done nothing wrong!"

"Be quiet, you dimwitted blonde," Flare snarled, causing Nullpudding to laugh. "First, I'll burn that lovely skin of yours. Then, I'm going to bruise you a little more. Finally, I'm going to make you watch as Nullpudding-sama finishes off that Erza girl." She laughed while Nullpudding nodded appreciatively at her evil streak, chuckling to himself. Lucy tried to move but Flare simply used her Hair Magic to raise her before crashing her into the ground. Then, her hair caught on fire and burned Lucy, although to a much lesser extent to Elfman, causing the blonde to cry out in pain.

_It's no use, _Lucy thought. _I've got no strength left. _Her skin was glowing red as Flare sent small fires towards her, tearing off more of her clothes. Then, Flare used some of her hair tendrils to smack Lucy's face, humiliating her and giving her marks on her cheeks. Elfman groaned as he looked at her, brought almost to tears as her beauty had almost vanished. _Where's Loke and Mira? _he thought. _I hope he's found her by now and they're on their way. _He tried to get up but Flare had used her strongest fire against him and he had already been exhausted from using Beast Soul: Lizardman when that happened.

"Such a shame," Nullpudding mocked. "Looks like you couldn't come through for your nakama. Aren't you Fairy Tail mages high on that?" While he was only goading her, Lucy felt stabs in her heart. She remembered the many times Erza and Natsu had fought as hard as they could while she had stood at the sidelines; even Elfman and Loke, who weren't even on her team, had tried their best to help her. _And now, _Lucy thought. _Just when they need me the most, I'm letting them down... again! _Her eyes blurred as tears fell from them._  
_

"Oh, stop crying," Flare said. "I'm not done with you yet." She raised Lucy once again before slamming her into the ground, causing her to double over in pain. Nullpudding turned and made his way towards the unconscious Erza, who was still sleeping with Natsu next to her. _I can't let him get there, _Lucy thought. _I need to move! Move! _She tried with all her might, her desperation causing her Magic power to leak out and weaken Flare's Hair Magic long enough for her to take out Cancer's key.

"**Gate of the Crab! I open thee, **Lucy shouted as she turned the key. "**Cancer!**" The Celestial Spirit immediately appeared and cut through Flare's hair using his scissors, freeing Lucy. He helped her to her feet and had an enraged look on his face. Both Flare and Nullpudding were taken aback, the latter having stopped in his tracks. _I guess the girl's got more than we thought, _Nullpudding thought. _Not bad! _"I've been looking at your backs this whole time... Erza-san, Natsu, Elfman-san, Loke. It's time I did something for you all!"

"What're you going to do?" Flare asked, sending her hair. "**Hair Shower - Wolf Fang.**" Her red hair took the shape of a large wolf, running towards her, but Cancer immediately jumped in front of her. He easily cut through the hair, causing it to lose its shape. Flare roared in anger but Nullpudding shook his head at her, telling her to back up. Lucy ran towards Nullpudding, who released a torrent of needles from his hands towards the Celestial Spirit mage. However, since Cancer was already dismissed, she summoned Taurus quickly, who swung his mighty axe and caused the spikes to redirect back at Nullpudding.

"Do you really think that'll work?" Nullpudding asked, easily dodging to the left. Then, his eyes widened as a large volley of arrows came towards him, courtesy of Sagittarius. The man just scowled before releasing another barrage of needles, colliding with the arrows and deflecting them. When the smoke cleared, Lucy charged towards Nullpudding and threw a punch, which he easily dodged before punching her in the face, drawing blood and hearing a sickening crack. He was about to send her flying with a kick when pain erupted from his back due to Taurus slashing him.

"Good job, Taurus," Lucy stuttered out, sending the Spirit away. "What'd you think of that? Huh...?" She slumped to the ground, exhausted from using her Celestial Spirit Magic to the maximum. She clutched her face, blood leaking slowly out of her nose.

"That was a good hit," Nullpudding said, showing his back to her, which now sported a scar. "But that isn't nearly enough to take me down. And you look like you're ready to pass out any second now." He began chuckling as he made his way towards her, realizing that there was no way she would survive now. "It's finally time for your demise!"

"Not if we can help it," Evergreen stated as Team 10 appeared in front of Lucy. "You won't be killing anybody today! We're going to take you down."

"These Fairy Tail ants keep crawling into places where it doesn't concern them," Flare said. "You three will be sorry that you messed with Raven Tail business." Nullpudding nodded, not at all pleased that the blonde had been saved again.

"E-Evergreen?" Lucy asked incredulously. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm not about to let you steal all the credit," Evergreen smirked. "You'll probably tell Erza that you're the one that saved her, right? Well, that's not going to happen!"

"We're a three-man team," Freed said. "We're not about to let Evergreen fight all by herself. So you see, we decided to tag along as well." Bickslow nodded, sticking his tongue out. _We need to get rid of these clowns, _Nullpudding thought, irritated. _Erza's the target. At this rate, we'll be too exhausted to fight her. It's annoying enough that Obra got taken out._

"Lucy," Evergreen said, causing her to look up. "Your teammates are down; look after them. Guys, you know what to do!" Freed and Bickslow nodded while Lucy backed up to where Erza and Natsu were. Freed and Bickslow charged towards Nullpudding while Evergreen engaged Flare in battle, deciding to use her best option to take her down.

"Babies!" Bickslow yelled, causing his dolls to levitate in the air. "**Line Formation!**" At this command, the dolls gathered next to each other, before standing on top of one another. From the linear formation, they shot a large, vertical crescent-shaped beam towards Nullpudding. He easily dodged the blast, although raised an eyebrow as it pierced through the ground, destroying it.**  
**

"**Dark Ecriture: Pain,**" Freed shouted, swiping his hand through the air. "Take that!" Immediately, Nullpudding felt a sharp pain through his body, causing him to gasp and back away slowly. "**Dark Ecriture: Suffering.**" Runes appeared on Nullpudding's back, causing him to start coughing and hold his head, the spell taking its effect on him. Flare tried to help him but Evergreen immediately intercepted her, causing her to use her Hair Magic.

"I don't have time for you," Flare yelled. "**Crimson Hair.**" Her hair caught on fire and moved in a zig-zag pattern, causing Evergreen to back up slightly before using the only spell she knew from her Fairy Magic.

"**Fairy Bomb: Gremlin,**" Evergreen shouted, causing dust particles to revolve around Flare. Then, a second later, they exploded in small jets of Fairy Magic but Flare simply retracted her hair and covered herself in a shield of hair. The explosion didn't effect her and Flare lowered her defence, laughing at Evergreen. However, at that moment, Evergreen lowered her glasses and looked at Flare with glowing eyes. Flare's laugh stopped abruptly as her body turned to stone, marking the end of their brawl.

"Nice job, Evergreen," Freed complimented. "Which way do you want to do this?" Nullpudding had exerted his Magic power on the runes, causing Freed's magic to break apart and he was back on his feet.

"That's some good magic you guys have," Nullpudding said. "But you're all just losers, in the end. If I were to go serious, I'd crush you three clowns in an instant." He smiled nastily before stepping towards them, ready to continue the match. _I just have to watch for his destructive attacks, _he thought, looking at Bickslow. _And then I have to keep away from the green-haired one's Rune Magic. _Suddenly, Evergreen attracted his attention since she stood next to the statue of Flare.

"The match has ended for you," Evergreen smiled, looking at him. "One push from me and your teammate's going to die, scattered on the ground in a million pieces. So here's what's going to happen; you're going to drop your scroll and get as far away from here as possible." Nullpudding studied her face for a while before bursting into laughter, confusing everyone there. _Something's wrong, _Lucy thought, looking at Nullpudding.

"So you got taken a hostage, Flare?" Nullpudding asked. "You're only a liability now. **Needle Barrage!**" He released a large number of needles at Evergreen and Flare, shocking her to the core. She tried to get away but wouldn't have made it in time, prompting Freed to use his Dark Ecriture to stop them in mid-air. The needles fell to the floor but not before Freed sunk to one knee, exhausted from using his magic.

"What type of monster would attack his own comrade?!" Evergreen demanded. "Plus, you'd never pass this test if she died!"

"I don't care about either," Nullpudding said, laughing. "I don't care whether she lives or dies. Her life means nothing to me. As to your second objection, I don't care whether or not I pass these Promotion Trials. My objective is simple: fight Erza Scarlet!" Their eyes widened before they looked at Erza, who was basked in red Magic power, which came off in slight tendrils.

Suddenly, the bushes rattled, causing them all to turn their heads. The Fairy Tail mages desperately hoped that it was some help while Nullpudding wondered if it was more nuisances. However, contrary to their hopes, Obra strode out of the woods. "Well, well," Nullpudding laughed. "Looks like you had a good walk, Obra!" The puppet cocked its head before continuing to walk towards him.

"NO!" Lucy yelled in desperation. "This can't be! Didn't Elfman just throw that guy to the other side of the forest?"

"Well, he's here now," Nullpudding said. "Don't think too much if he doesn't answer you; Obra's not exactly the talkative type... unlike you." Lucy glared at him while Nullpudding merely chuckled, mentally high-fiving himself at Obra's appearance. _This makes the job very easy, _he thought. _A little... too easy._

"We could probably have defeated him," Freed said, sweating. "But this new one; we don't even know what type of magic he uses!"

"Yeah, what should we do?" Bickslow asked, looking at him. "I mean, these guys are ruthless as heck."

"Oh, there's nothing you can do!" Nullpudding said, chuckling. "Dropping dead is the best you can do, at this point! The little chance you had of defeating me is now totally gone."

"Do you really think you're that tough?" Mirajane's voice came, causing Nullpudding and Obra to whirl around. "I wonder if an amateur like you is ready to take on the real thing. I'm happy to show you... what it means to be a mage!"

"You Fairy Tail mages are like cockroaches," Nullpudding said, scowling. "One after the other! We don't have the time to deal with you."

"That's not good enough," Mirajane growled, looking at Elfman's body. "Looks like you've been picking on our teammate. Plus, he's my brother, no matter how many times he may mess up. Nobody does this and gets away with it! Let's go, Loke; we're not holding back!" She was about to use her Satan Soul when her eyes widened, looking ahead.

"Well, are you going to do something about it?" Nullpudding asked. "Or are you going to stay up there?"

"Actually," Mirajane said, closing her eyes. "It looks like the matter might have been taken out of my hands. Just take a look behind you." They all turned their head to see an enraged Erza Scarlet, her eyes red and her demonic Magic power coming off in waves.

* * *

Erza took a few slow steps, destroying the ground underneath her feet. She wore a new and shining black armour, which had many spikes running along it. Her hair was also spiked upwards, which, along with her glowing red eyes, gave her a monstrous look. _I-Is t-that really E-Erza-san? _Lucy thought as she saw her idol walk towards her, the redness in her eyes abating. Evergreen was equally shocked, no words coming out of her mouth at the sight. Not too far away from her, Freed and Bickslow were also amazed at Erza's sudden change in appearance and the power radiating from her.

"Lucy," Erza growled, getting the blonde's attention. "Who did this to you? Who was it? Tell me!" Her tone was serious and low, not sounding anything like how Erza would, even when she was angry.

"Erza-san?" Lucy inquired, looking at her. "What's happened to you? Why are you like this?"

"Don't worry," Erza said, holding up her mace. It was also covered in sleek black spikes, like her armour. "It's just the power flowing through me. I haven't felt anything like this before; he gave this to me as a gift. And... he made me realize what my purpose is; to have power!" Lucy's eyebrows twitched as she wondered who had Erza been replaced with, immediately realizing that she didn't know this Erza.

_Now I see, _Nullpudding thought. _So the mark the girl was talking about was **the **Purgatory? And Erza did more than survive it._ He smirked, wondering if he would finally get a challenge. However, Obra was not as enthusiastic; he couldn't cancel out Erza's Requip since the armour was literally glued to her body. Deciding that he would just observe, Obra let Nullpudding take the stage. "You wanted to know who did that to the girl, right?" Nullpudding asked. "Well... that'd be me!"

"Is that right?" Erza asked, turning her wild eyes on Nullpudding. "So you're the one, huh?" She raised her mace and prepared to face off against Nullpudding, a deep rage in her heart.

"Evergreen," Freed said, catching her attention. He and Bickslow were already hiding in the bushes. "You don't wanna get caught up in this. Hurry up and get over here!" She nodded and ran over to where they were, the entire team deciding to see the battle from that spot. At this point in time, Evergreen's Stone Eyes magic only worked when she was close to her opponent; thus, Flare was no longer a statue but she was knocked out, eliminating the prospect of her joining the battle.

"Alright, let's do this," Nullpudding said. "You're not getting cold feet, are ya, Obra? Just do what we've always done. **Needle Sandstorm!**" He used one of his strongest Needle Magic spells, causing spikes to shoot out of every part of his skin. They shot towards Erza and her teammates, intending to take them out in one swoop. "She doesn't stand a chance!"

When the smoke cleared, there wasn't a single trace of Team 7. "Did you see that?" Nullpudding asked, looking at Obra. "I pushed them all the way back!" Then, his eyes widened as he heard the ground getting crushed behind him. He turned and Erza smashed her mace into Nullpudding's face, sending him flying through two trees. Mirajane's eyebrows rose at the display of physical strength, wondering if Erza had been holding back in their fight. _It didn't seem like it, _she thought.

_That's some amazing speed, _Obra and Nullpudding both thought. Erza had managed to get Lucy and Natsu, dodge all of Nullpudding's needles, set them down a little farther away, and smack Nullpudding away in the span of a dozen seconds. "I hope that's not all you've got," Erza mocked, looking at Nullpudding. "I haven't even gotten serious, yet!" Nullpudding's eyebrow twitched before his hands erupted into spikes; while Elfman had damaged them, they were still functional.

Nullpudding charged at Erza, swinging his fists at her. However, she easily dodged all of his moves before slamming the hilt of her mace into his chin, causing him to back away in pain. "You seem to think that nobody can touch you, isn't that right?" Erza mocked, grinning sinisterly. She quickly charged at Nullpudding and batted aside his arm before slamming her forearm into his chest, her spikes sinking into his skin and breaking his own spikes. Then, turning around, Erza threw Nullpudding to the ground before smashing her mace into his face, making it similar to Lucy's and knocking him out.

"Well, your friend's out," Erza said, looking at Obra. "I hope you make this more of a challenge." The long-nosed puppet began to back away, the real Obra hiding inside. _I'm going to die if I fight her, _he thought. _I'd better get away!_ As he was wondering what he should do, Erza began to walk towards him, the nasty smile never leaving her face.

Suddenly, Natsu's right arm wrapped around Erza's waist, pulling her close but avoiding the spikes. "What're you doing, Erza?" he asked. "It's not like you to get so ruffled up and cripple your opponents." His words immediately caused her to stop and calm down; _the idiot's right, _Erza thought, smiling at him. _I have to control myself! More importantly, I can't rely on that guy's power. _The Purgatory Armour started to glow before it vanished, only showing Ivan's symbol on her left arm before that too stopped glowing._  
_

"B-Baka," Erza stuttered, pushing Natsu away. "Don't hug me like that! I'll pulverize you if you do that again. When did you get up?"

"Just now," Natsu said, sticking out his tongue at her. "Man, I have no idea what happened but you were making _way _too much noise. By the way, where's that guy in golden armour?"

"I don't know," Erza said, folding her arms. "I remember fighting him and then, passing out. That bastard! He destroyed our Heaven scroll!"

"Damn it," Natsu growled. "I really wanted a piece of that guy. And he took our scroll, on top of that." Team 10 were staring at the two with wide jaws; _they're just having a normal conversation after a brutal fight like that?! _Freed and Bickslow thought while Evergreen couldn't believe Erza hadn't killed Natsu for hugging her. When she and Lucy tried doing that, Erza had nearly punched them in the face and they were _girls._

"You're strong, Erza," Obra said, finally speaking. "Too strong, actually. I'll strike a deal with you; take our Earth scroll and let us go!" His tone was sly and somewhat babyish, which was unexpected from his puppet's stature. _This guy, _Erza thought before Natsu cocked an eyebrow at him. _I wonder what would have happened if I fought him._

"Alright," Erza said, moving forward before she fell forward. Natsu quickly caught her and settled her on the ground before going to get the scroll. Lucy quickly ran up to her, helping her up. It was clear that Erza was exhausted, her Magic power quite depleted from how events had turned out to be. Natsu put the Earth scroll in his tiny pellet bag, which he strapped to his belt.

"For now, we're even," Obra said, gathering Nullpudding and Flare's bodies. "But if we ever meet again... we won't run or hide!" He turned and left through the bushes, the sounds eventually stopping. Erza's left hand visibly shook as she registered the power she had felt a few minutes ago; _I've never felt something like that before, _she thought, looking at the mark on her arm. _Just what is this? _Lucy looked worriedly at Erza, remembering the evil presence she had felt.

"Hey, what're you guys doing here?" Natsu asked, pointing a finger at Freed and Bickslow. "What's going on here?"

"Nobody's going to tell you anything," Freed sighed, scratching his hair. "It'll take too long, anyway! Right, Bickslow?" He smiled at his friend, who also nodded. Natsu glared at them comically while Evergreen supported Elfman, bringing him over to them. Mirajane was sitting on the same tree, wondering how Erza had gotten so powerful, while Loke went down to get Elfman.

"Everyone just decided to help," Lucy said, smiling at Natsu. The pink-haired boy was still quite bewildered but, seeing the bruises on Lucy's face, decided that those guys had been pretty tough. _Man, I wish I could have helped, _he thought. Erza smiled at Lucy, appreciating that the blonde's courage. She also mentally thanked Natsu for helping her regain control.

"WAKE UP, ELFMAN!" Loke yelled, imitating Mirajane. The silver-haired mage immediately woke up, scrambling onto his feet in surprise. "It's about time you got up. I love doing that!" Elfman's eyebrow ticked as he realized it was only Loke, chasing around the orange-haired boy while Mirajane just sighed at the two. Suddenly, Elfman realized where he was and the people he had been fighting.

"Wait, what's going on?" Elfman asked, looking at Loke. "Didn't I tell you to go and get Mira? Where are those Raven Tail guys?"

"Erza took care of them," Loke answered. "It was quite a frightening battle. But I didn't think you'd get beaten up like that!"

"It was 2-on-1," Elfman barked out. "Plus, I had one of them on the ropes until the red-haired girl started using her hair and I ended up getting dizzy, losing my concentration." He would have continued telling Loke about his fight when Natsu ran over to where they were, pointing his finger at Elfman with a goofy grin.

"I remember you!" Natsu said. "The macho guy with the sideburns!" Lucy was immediately covered in a demonic aura as she walked over to Natsu, punching him in the face and sending him flying back several feet.

"You'd better not say anything bad about Elfman!" Lucy yelled, before turning to them. "Thanks, guys; because of your efforts to defend me, I was able to stand up for myself. I feel as if I've grown a little stronger... so thanks for that." Elfman wiped several tears from his eyes while Loke just laughed sheepishly, scratching his head.

"Anything to help a pretty lady!" they chorused before Elfman began to chase Loke around, who laughed out. Lucy watched the two and chuckled to herself while Erza got up and joined her, looking at them amusedly. Elfman eventually gave up and watched Loke scurry off, before nodding to Erza.

"Looks like you're as good as they say," Elfman said, a little depressed. "I only managed to take one of them down, thanks to Loke distracting them, and lost to the other two." Erza's eyes widened at the comment, wondering if they were _that _strong and thinking back to the comment Mirajane had made during their fight, regarding Elfman. She touched the Purgatory on her left am, rubbing it a little before snapping out of his reverie. _Looks like she's better than I gave her credit for,_ Mirajane thought, looking at Erza.

* * *

Team 8 had already reached the Tower, being one of the first teams to have gotten there. Since they had arrived on the second day, they would be given rooms for the next three days. While his teammates had gone to bed, Gray laid on his bed with his arms behind his head, thinking about what they had seen the day before. It had been quite disturbing and made him question whether he was strong enough to fight Gajeel Redfox.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_"We'll definitely be the ones to survive this," Gray laughed as they jumped from tree-to-tree. "It's almost the end of the first day and we're not that far from the tower. What do you guys think?"_

_"That's right," Max said. "At this rate, we'll have enough time to heal up for the next phase of the Promotion Trials."_

_"We were lucky," Lisanna smiled. "The people caught in that trap had an Earth scroll; exactly what we needed." The boys nodded and continued to move until Gray's eyes widened, coming to a halt. The other two also stopped, looking inquiringly at the Ice-Make mage. Gray's ears pricked and he could feel something not too far away from their location._

_"Guys, I think I heard something," Gray said before turning to Lisanna. "Lisanna, check in that direction." She nodded and used her Animal Soul, transforming into a green bird. She took off into the sky and headed off towards where Gray had heard the noise._

_"Do you think it's an enemy?" Max asked, looking at Gray. "It's much better if we avoid them and leave to the tower._

_"Although engaging them is also beneficial," Gray said, shaking his head. "If we manage to beat them and take their scrolls, that means there will be fewer scrolls to go around. Our competition will be shortened severely; we're actually making it easier for ourselves, later on."_

_"I guess I can see your point," Max said, scratching his head. "Alright, let's see what Lisanna says." At that moment, Lisanna returned to their branch and released her Takeover, transforming back to normal._

_"Two teams are fighting," Lisanna informed them. "It looks like the battle's about to get pretty heated. I wasn't able to get too close so I don't know who they are." Gray nodded and told her of his idea, which she agreed to but made Gray agree to wait a little bit before attacking. He agreed and Team 8 headed towards the fight, which would later worry Gray. Around a few minutes later, they arrived to the scene and hid behind a row of thick bushes._

_"Looks like you're Phantom Lord," Rocker said, smiling at them. "You're just a bunch of fools, challenging us. We're from Quatro Cerberus and we're going to destroy you guys." Next to him, his teammates Warcry and Jager nodded, cracking their knuckles. Standing a dozen meters in front of them was Team Phantom; Gajeel, Aria, and Juvia all looked at the trio, fixing them with a cold stare._

_"You can't back up any of those claims," Gajeel snorted. "Don't talk big if you don't know your opponents. Let's deal with these guys quickly; we can't waste time on them." Both Aria and Juvia were confused at the black-haired Dragon Slayer's words, wondering what he could be thinking._

_"Hey, Gajeel," Aria said. "Doesn't it make more sense to follow these guys and find out what type of scroll they have? If they have the same scroll as us, this is just going to be an unnecessary battle."_

_"I don't care," Gajeel simply said, stunning everybody there. "They looked at me the wrong way. And now, they're going to pay the price!" He laughed to himself before stepping up to confront them._

_"If you think you can kill us," Rocker said, "think again, kid! Jager, get him!" He looked to his teammate, who merely nodded before activating his Plant Magic. Jager ran towards Gajeel and caused many plants to grow out of the ground, spewing up some gas. It covered the whole area until only Jager could see through the gas; he smiled as he saw Gajeel's unmoving shape. Jager charged towards him with a dagger in hand, ready to kill him._

_"What a disappointment!" Gajeel said, as the gas cleared away. Rocker and Warcry were shocked as they saw Jager knocked out cold at Gajeel's feet, a large bruise on his stomach. "I hope you guys are stronger than that; let's have some fun!" He smirked at them, causing Rocker to sweat before ordering Warcry to engage Gajeel. However, the latter's knees were shocking and he wondered how he would defeat Gajeel, who had effortlessly taken out Jager._

_"What just happened?" Max asked, looking at Gray. "I couldn't see anything inside that smoke. Don't you have really good senses?" Lisanna also looked at Gray, hoping for some answers._

_"It's hard to explain," Gray said, his eyes widened. "But... that gas didn't seem to work on him at all. Almost like his body was protected by a suit of armour!" Max and Lisanna's eyes also widened, wondering what type of magic Gajeel was using._

_"You guys should just give up," Aria scoffed. "Gajeel possesses an unique form of magic. Your pathetic magics can't do anything to it."_

_"Is that right?" Rocker challenged, looking at Warcry. "Come on, man, let's charge him together. Let's show them how unique our magics are." The other man nodded and the two of them dashed towards Gajeel, ready to dish out their combo. Warcry's eyes watered and large volumes of tears began to fall out of them, causing Gajeel to make a disgusted face. Rocker let Warcry have a headstart before he initiated his Drill 'n Rock, rotating his lower body at large speeds as he flew towards Gajeel._

_"This is a pain," Gajeel said, rubbing his hair. "Now, you're trying a 2-on-1 tactic. I'd rather be at home, writing songs. **Iron Dragon's Roar.**" He released a mouthful of black-green magic energy at Rocker, clashing with the incoming mage for a second before blowing him away into a large explosion. Then, Gajeel held out his hand towards Warcry, causing a green magic seal to appear. From it, a barrage of iron lances shot out and impaled Warcry, pushing him back and causing him to ultimately hit the ground. "**Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs.**" From his body, a large line of blood made its way towards the bushes, repulsing the three.  
_

_"What type of magic is that?" Lisanna asked. "I've never seen anything like it. It's so gross! How could he like it?" Gajeel had begun to laugh psychotically as he looked at the sight of the fallen Quatro Cerberus team. _

_"I-I don't l-like the l-look of this, g-guys," Max stuttered. "It's better if we g-get out of here." He had little doubt that Gajeel would probably sense them very soon and want to kill some more._

_"Right," Gray said, backing away. "Come on, guys, let's go!" After that, the three of them had disappeared back into the forest and decided to abandon Gray's original idea, making their way towards the Tower with thudding hearts._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

Gray quickly snapped out of his reverie as he heard footsteps echoing down the hall. "Let's settle down in this room," a voice came, which Gray immediately recognized as Aria's. "We can wait the other days here." He heard Gajeel give a low cough before their footsteps eventually faded into nothing. It was then that Gray realized he had been holding his breath. _Damn, they've got me all jumpy, _he thought. _I don't know who that guy is but he's definitely too dangerous to be messed with, for sure._

* * *

"This is turning into a real mess," Cana complained as she sipped her coffee. Next to her, Jet and Droy were drinking water and relaxing. "But there's no way we can cancel the S-class Promotion Trials. Many people are looking forward to it and even Master can't do it!" The two nodded, thinking back to Cana's story about her confrontation with Ivan and his disrupting of the trials.

"Hey, Cana," Nab said, entering the room. "I think you need to see this CD. It's got something you'll find quite shocking." He walked over to the TV and put the disk into the CD player, before turning on the TV. "Pay close attention to the time." The screen showed Gajeel with his teammates, Aria and Juvia, walking across the main hall.

"Are you serious?" Cana's eyes widened as she looked at the TV. "These mages finished the first test an hour and thirty-seven minutes after they entered the Forest of Death. That's an all-time record; nobody's managed to do that since the S-class Promotion Trials started!"

"These guys are definitely above Normal mage-level," Nab said. "No team has even come close to finishing the phase; the highest record was five hours and twenty-one minutes. They completely topped that."

"It's not just that," Cana said, standing up. "The Tower is ten kilometers from the gates, where they started. In between, the Forest of Death is packed with dangerous animals, poisonous plants, and other mages. Could they really have avoided all of that? Not to mention, the tall black-haired guy in the front."

"What's so special about him?" Nab asked, confused. "He's just looking into the camera."

"Oh, you're right!" Jet exclaimed, looking at the TV. "How is that possible? This doesn't make any sense!" A second later, Droy also realized what was wrong and nodded gravely to Cana.

"I still don't get it," Nab said. "What did you guys see?"

"Look closely at his body," Cana said, looking out of the window. "The guy doesn't have a single mark, or scratch. Hell, even the S-class mages we've got would have gotten a few marks or dirt on them. But not this guy..." She turned to look at them for a few seconds, letting that sink in.

"Man, his eyes are creepy," Droy shuddered. "Those red eyes just look... evil." Jet and Nab nodded, excited at the candidates for the year's Promotion Trials. _I knew this was going to be fun, _Jet thought. _That is, for us and not for them._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: **_Conclusion to the Forest of Death._

"It's time for breakfast!" Natsu roared as he jumped down the cliff. He had taken off his blue-trimmed yellow t-shirt along with his white pants, dressed only in his boxers. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer crashed into water and began to swim underwater, looking for some fish. He found three and let out a deep breath, causing them to jump out of the water. On the shore, Erza was ready and used her knives to pin them to the bark of a tree. Natsu emerged from the water, breathing heavily.

"Come on, Natsu," Erza said, looking at him pointedly. "I can eat three fish by myself. Now, go and do it again." She folded her arms while Natsu just narrowed his eyes at her, his temper beginning to flare.

"WHAT?!" Natsu yelled, flailing his arms around. "If you think it's so easy, why don't you come here and get wet? I'll stand on the shore instead." He was about to continue when he heard Lucy's voice calling for him to make a fire. The Dragon Slayer smiled at Erza and left the stream, annoying the red-haired mage and causing her to rant. _Do I have to do everything around here? _she thought arrogantly.

Around ten minutes later, Erza had managed to get them some more fish. Natsu had started a fire and Lucy was warming her hands in front of it. They eventually set the fish on the fire and waited for it to cook, when Erza started to talk. "It's already been four days since the first trial began," she said, looking at her teammates. "We're sure not going to break any records. We only have today left to get a Heaven scroll."

"That's right," Lucy said. "I wonder how many of the other teams have already gotten both scrolls and finished." Next to her, Natsu's mouth was watering as he looked at the fishes, wondering when it would be done. Since he was the Fire Dragon Slayer, he could quite easily just grab his share out of the flames and eat it. Because of that, only Erza and Lucy's fishes were on sticks.

"I'm sure there's still one Heaven scroll out there," Erza said, getting up. "I'll go and fill up our pitchers." He took them and walked towards the lake while Natsu munched on his fish, eating it quickly. Then, he turned to the next one and began to eat that too, loving the delicious taste. Lucy watched him in amazement, wondering how he wasn't worried at all about not passing the trial.

"Hey, Natsu," Lucy said, getting his attention. "Aren't you worried that we'll fail the Promotion Trials? It doesn't look like there's any Heaven scrolls out there anymore. How can you just stuff your face like that?"

"Relax," Natsu said, finishing his fish and taking the Earth scroll. "I've got the perfect plan on how we can pass this test. Look, I've got this blank scroll in my pellet; if we make it look like the Heaven scroll, we can pretend that we've got both scrolls with-"

"Stop right there!" Lucy exclaimed, holding up her hand. "Even if you could fake the outside, you wouldn't be able to fake the inside... not without reading it, which is against the rules. Cana-san even emphasized how important it was that we didn't peek! Baka!"

"I've got it all figured out, Lucy," Natsu said, holding up the Earth scroll. "I think the Heaven and Earth scrolls both have some sort of code that only works when you put it together. It shouldn't be too hard to just open up this Earth scroll and just copy down the code in the blank scroll. After all... it's probably the only chance we've got!" He looked seriously at Lucy, causing her to gulp and sweat. _I don't like this idea, _she thought. _But it might actually be... our only chance!_

"Alright, fine," Lucy relented, looking away. "Open it quickly and be ready to copy." Natsu grinned broadly before taking his blank scroll, opening it up. Lucy took out her pen and took the scroll, ready to start writing. The Fire Dragon Slayer put his finger on the seal of the Earth scroll, parting it and began to open it. _This is it! _he thought, his heart thudding as his fingers worked slowly. Then, another hand appeared over Natsu's and stopped him, revealing him to be Doranbolt.

* * *

"I can't believe you guys!" Erza scolded his teammates. "I go for a few minutes and this happens?! I seriously expected more from you!" She had arrived to see Doranbolt kneeling next to Natsu and Lucy, immediately thinking that it was an enemy. After getting closer, Erza had found out it was Doranbolt and his teammates were planning on opening the Earth scroll.

"If I hadn't come along when I did," Doranbolt said, "there would have been some trouble. There have been others who have broken the rules, the consequences being severe. The scrolls are protected by a special Fire Magic that hits you and knocks you out; by the time you wake up, the Promotion Trials have already finished."

"Mest, right?" Erza asked, causing him to turn to her. "What're you doing, wandering around here? Where are your teammates?"

"Oh, I'm sure they're not very far," Doranbolt said. "Don't worry, I'm not after your Earth scroll."

"I guess not," Erza said. "If you were, you would have just swiped it off Natsu when you had the chance. So you're looking for a Heaven scroll too, huh?"

"Nope," Doranbolt said, surprising them. "You see, I've got both." He reached into his pellet, pulling out both Heaven and Earth scrolls. Their eyes widened as they saw the Heaven scroll, something they had been looking for. Erza clenched her teeth, wondering how he had gotten it. As if reading her mind, Doranbolt smiled and answered her unasked question. "I came across it by luck really. I was just on my way to the tower to wait for my teammates when I saw you guys. Well, see you!"

"Wait!" Erza called as Doranbolt walked past him, stopping him. "That Heaven scroll you've got there; I'll fight you for it!" Doranbolt turned back towards her while Natsu and Lucy just looked uncertainly at the red-haired armoured mage. _My unlucky break, _Hiroshi thought, in the trees. _Just when I thought I could have swiped an Earth scroll off the guy._

"Are you serious, Erza?!" Natsu roared, pointing his finger at her. "In case you've forgotten, this guy just saved our butts. And you want to just take his Heaven scroll like that!"

"Natsu's got a point, you know," Lucy said, smiling sheepishly. "I don't think we should-"

"You don't understand," Erza cut her off. "It's either him or us. Out here, in the wilderness, it's all about survival; just because he was nice enough to correct our mistake doesn't mean we'll be nice enough to let him go. We have to do everything we can, in order to survive! So, let me handle this."

"Why, you're lying," Doranbolt said, smiling. "Despite that talk, your heart really isn't in it. If it was, if winning was the only thing that mattered to you, why would you openly challenge me? Why face me like this? It would be so much easier to just snatch the Heaven scroll away when my back is turned. After all, that's the tactic a real mage would use."

"That's true," Natsu said, nodding his head. "And pretty deep!" Erza merely clenched her fists, unnerved by Doranbolt's analysis.

"It's alright," Doranbolt said. "It takes a while to get used to this. But I admire you for challenging me; I'm even willing to help you out. I'll show you where you should go and you'll probably even get a Heaven scroll, just in time. But we'd better go since that fire's going to attract all the wrong attention." He cocked his head to the left, looking straight at Hiroshi, who panicked and left in a burst of speed.

* * *

"You think there's still other candidates out here?" Erza asked, as they jumped from tree to tree. "This _is _the last day of the Promotion Trials, after all."

"Oh, that's for sure," Doranbolt said. "Just think about it; what's the most efficient way of finding a scroll in a territory as large as this? Is it to go looking through the Forest of Death and hopefully coming across an opponent with the scroll you need?"

"Yeah, why not?" Lucy asked. "What else would you do?"

"There's another tactic," Doranbolt explained. "Instead of going to them, you let them come to you! All the teams will eventually have to head to the tower by the end of the five days, right? So the smart thing to do would be to go over there and wait for them to come. Then, you could ambush them and get your Heaven scroll from them."

"That makes sense!" Erza exclaimed. "They wouldn't go to the tower unless they had both scrolls. So it's a sure chance that we'll find a Heaven scroll!"

"Exactly," Doranbolt said. "Now, one problem is that there aren't a lot of teams left. That means that if you don't manage to catch the remaining teams... it's game over for you guys. I hope you realize that you'll need to be serious on this one."

"What are the other problems?" Natsu asked. "Are they bad?"

"Well, you guys aren't going to be the only ones using this strategy," Doranbolt said. "Other teams will have also thought of this tactic and are going to use it. Again, you just need to be on your guard and keep a hand on the scrolls. Aside from these two issues, though, I'm sure our strategy will work and you'll get the Heaven scroll."

"Right," Erza said before looking curiously at Doranbolt. "But why're you helping us? It can't be just because you were impressed by me challenging you. Why go out of your way to help us?"

"Sharp, I see," Doranbolt said. "Yeah, this'll work. But I just told you the reasons why I'm helping you guys." He laughed at Lucy and Natsu's bewildered looks while a smirk appeared on Erza's face.

"So that's why," Erza said. "Are you really that frightened? These teams might not even be that strong, you know."

"I guess," Doranbolt said. "But if they were strong and/or smart enough to survive for five days, I think it's best we don't take our chances." The red-haired girl merely nodded before the four of them continued on their way to the tower.

* * *

"There's the tower," Lucy said, looking at the red building. "And the end of our journey. This is where the hard part begins!" It was already nightfall by the time they had reached the tower and in a few minutes, the ambush would begin. Natsu gave a roar as he pumped his fist before they heard a sound behind them, causing Erza to turn and launch a sword in the direction. She ended up killing a centipede, which was larger than a human's head.

"Hey, Natsu," Doranbolt said. "Try to keep it down. The whole point of this thing is to make sure they can't find us, you know." The pink-haired Dragon Slayer nodded sheepishly, subdued. "There's no need to get anxious; let's take it slow and use all of the time we've got left."

"Right!" Team 7 chorused before they split up. Doranbolt had brought some camouflage armour, putting it on himself. _I'm not a spy for nothing, _he thought slyly. He almost melded into the green grass, almost not visible. Then, Doranbolt took out a special camera from his pellet and began to take discreet pictures of the place, using the zoom button to enlarge on various spots.

Lucy had hid herself in one of the grass fields, going through the grass slowly. She tried not to make a lot of noise but found it very difficult, constantly swatting mosquitos away. On the other hand, Erza already had a plan; she would spent the first half of the night using Transformation Magic to make herself look like a fly. Then, she would go into the water and spy using a tube. Due to his years of pranking people, Natsu was also quite nimble, walking along ropes of grass without trouble. He eventually took up a position overlooking the scene, while cleverly leaving a Thought Projection below.

However, they didn't know that Sylph Labyrinth had already spotted them. "Would you look at that?" Hiroshi said to his teammates. "Those three are trying to hide; I guess we have to show them how it's done." Drake and Lala nodded, grinning evilly. Immediately, they assumed their own positions; Drake took out his Type 74 Long-Range Rifle and began to put it together while Hiroshi and Lala went down below, disguising themselves.

_This is going to be a piece of cake, _Hiroshi thought. _After I give the signal, Drake's gonna snipe one of them. Then, me and Lala will take out the other two. _He grinned and looked to his right, seeing that Lala had also hidden himself. They appeared as small boars to everyone looking. Hiroshi quickly gave the signal, which was the Sylph Labyrinth symbol, causing Drake to start. However, the sniper made a mistake; he targeted Natsu's Thought Projection, going for a headshot. He pressed the trigger and in the following second, there was a loud noise as Natsu's Thought Projection dropped to the floor.

_YES! _Erza thought, looking at the body disappearing. _Time to play our part! _She quickly dashed out of her hiding place along with Lucy, both pretending to be scared. They all snickered, not bothering to check if Natsu had actually died or not. Hiroshi and Lala dropped their disguises, charging towards the pair with sword/hammer in hand. "TIME TO DIE!" they chorused. Then, their eyes widened as Erza summoned a sword and intercepted Hiroshi while Lucy dodged Lala's swing, the ground being pulverized by his hammer.

"Way to go," Natsu whispered to himself. "Looks like our plan worked." Not long after arriving, they had realized that they were being followed by somebody. Natsu had caught their scents while Erza's keen eyesight had caught something. They had discussed their plan quickly before continuing to pretend that they had no idea what was going on. _Worked pretty good, _Natsu thought before his eyes fell on Drake. The sniper seemed distressed that he had been fooled and obviously wasn't expecting an attack.

_Dropped his guard, huh? _the pink-haired Dragon Slayer thought. _Time to move in. _He began to move slowly and quietly, holding his breath. There was a path that led straight up to Drake, although he could be caught any moment. Meanwhile, Doranbolt was smiling as he looked at the situation; they had fallen for Natsu's Thought Projection and had given themselves away. He decided to stay hidden and look for any openings that might arise, letting Erza and Lucy battle in the meantime.

"So it's you," Hiroshi said, struggling against Erza. "I remember you; I still have to pay you back for the wound you gave me." He trusted that Erza and Lucy didn't know about Drake, hoping that they thought he or Lala had been the one to take Natsu down. _Plus, it was a Thought Projection, _Hiroshi thought, looking out of the corner of his eyes to find that Natsu's body had disappeared. _So they set this all up? The pink-haired runt's hidden somewhere._

"I remember you too," Erza said, taking her left hand off her hilt. "Don't you think it's time to settle this?!" She summoned another blade in her hand and slashed at Hiroshi, who agilely jumped over her head. He turned to swipe at her but Erza parried his blow, stepping in. The red-haired mage tried to stab him but Hiroshi let go of his blade and backed away, drawing his Chain Blade from his back. The blade extended out of its guard. They looked at each other for a second before dashing at each other, with the intent to kill.

"So you're my opponent?" Lala asked, looking Lucy up-and-down. "You're so scrawny and weak. How're you going to touch me?" He raised his hammer and charged at Lucy, swinging the weapon. The blonde tried to dodge to the side but Lala had anticipated the move, kicking out at her. The edge of his foot grazed her and caused her to fall to the floor. _How strong is this guy? _she thought. _This looks like a job for him._

"**Gate of the Bull! I open thee,**" Lucy declared, taking out her Key and twisting it in the air. Taurus emerged in a bolt of light, looking at Lala. The Sylph Labyrinth mage raised an eyebrow in surprise, realizing that Lucy was a Celestial Spirit mage. _Maybe I might actually have some fun, _Lala thought. He dodged Taurus' axe before headbutting the Spirit, pushing him back. However, after the last battle with Nullpudding, Taurus wasn't about to give up either; he turned his body anti-clockwise and slammed his left fist into Lala's face, causing him to move away.

"You're quite good at swordplay," Hiroshi complimented, jabbing at Erza. She moved out of the way and slashed at Hiroshi, the latter dodging it. "Looks like you're trying to get in close, huh? Not a chance." He backed away, knowing he couldn't let Erza get close since she had two swords whereas he only had one. The two continued to fight but Hiroshi began to push Erza back with his greater physical strength, causing her to requip into her Black Wing Armour.

"Now I'm getting serious," Erza said, charging at Hiroshi. Her sword disappeared and two axes appeared in her hands. "Let's see how you like this!" She batted aside Hiroshi's sword before slashing at his neck. The man moved away but couldn't dodge the full strike, the blade of the axe cutting into his skin. Hiroshi gave a roar of pain before backing away while Erza smiled. "I'm just getting started!" she growled and moved towards him when pain erupted from her left arm, spreading all over her body.

"What were you saying?" Hiroshi mocked. "It looks to me like you overdid it. Now, you're going to die! **Super Stab.**" The Chain Blade shot out towards Erza, catching the red-haired girl by surprise. She was completely paralysed and couldn't move while Lucy wouldn't have made it in time. _Is this the end of the line? _the armoured mage thought. _Am I going to die here? _However, at that moment, Doranbolt grabbed her and moved away, the blade only cutting his shoulder lightly.

"Hey, are you okay?" Doranbolt asked, putting her on the ground. Erza nodded and slowly got to her feet, clutching her left arm in pain. While it had lessened considerably, Erza couldn't move her arm freely. She summoned the sword belonging to the Black Wing Armour and stood forward, feeling the pain go away slowly. _I should be fine in a while, _Erza thought. _But what does this mark have to do with my Requip?_

"Thanks, Mest-san," Erza said. "If you hadn't saved me, I would have been dead."

"No need to thank me," Doranbolt said. "We're all comrades, aren't we?" She nodded and the two shared a moment.

"So there was another bug hiding, eh?" Hiroshi asked. "Well, thanks to you, we've found him! Do it now, Drake!" He laughed and raised his hand, pointing to his friend and causing their eyes to widen. Both Erza and Doranbolt were too shocked to move, giving Drake more than enough time to lock onto Erza's face. "Your death is guaranteed, girl!" His finger moved towards the trigger... until Natsu appeared in the air.

"Nobody's going to kill Erza when I'm around!" Natsu yelled, shooting towards Drake. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" The sniper couldn't even react before he was blown away by Natsu's attack, burned badly. He landed on the floor a dozen meters away, knocked out cold, and his clothes ripped. _Another one?! _Hiroshi thought incredulously. _There's too many of them! _Natsu jumped down towards them and made his way over to Hiroshi, his hands igniting.

"Come on, Erza," Natsu said. "Let's beat this guy up. Mest-san, Lucy needs your help." Doranbolt nodded and left to help Lucy, who wasn't winning her fight with Lala since the latter was seemingly on par with Taurus. Neither could get an advantage over the other. "It's just you and me, Erza!" He smiled at her, causing her to grin back.

"Mest-san!" Lucy exclaimed as Doranbolt appeared. "I need your help. Just attack that guy with your strongest spell!" She signalled to Taurus, who immediately nodded. He and Lala were grappling with each other and the latter hadn't noticed Doranbolt's appearance. Taurus manoeuvred around and exposed Lala's back to them, where he would be less focused on. Doranbolt merely looked at Lala and used his Memory Control to erase a good deal of memories from the man's mind. _I guess I shouldn't them too much, _Doranbolt thought, looking at the Fairy Tail mages.

"Lala, what're you doing?!" Hiroshi yelled out as he watched Lala walk away. "Have you completely lost your mind? You need to come, help me, now!" Lala looked back at him, confused, before continuing to walk away. The swordsman cursed before turning to see the triumphant faces of Natsu and Erza.

"Alright, let's do this," Erza declared. She and Natsu charged at Hiroshi, who raised his Chain Blade. The sword shot out at them, causing Erza to dodge to the right and Natsu to jump in the air. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer kicked at Hiroshi, who managed to dodge the attack, before Natsu came back at him with a roundhouse kick. Hiroshi backed away and used the hilt of the Chain Blade to block Natsu's attack, leaving him open to Natsu's following spell.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar,**" Natsu yelled after releasing a mouthful of flames. He quickly moved away, flipping in mid-air and landing on the ground. However, Hiroshi emerged from the flames, sporting a few burns and having a mad expression on his face. Natsu laughed before pointing upwards, causing the man to look upwards. Erza immediately smashed her elbow into his face, bruising his nose and causing him to drop the Chain Blade. Looking at each other, Natsu and Erza decided to finish the match.

* * *

As dawn came nearby, the duo left a bloodied Hiroshi on the floor. "Alright!" Natsu grinned as he took the Heaven scroll out of his pellet. "Check it out, guys! It's our Heaven scroll!" He tossed it to Erza, who had requiped into her normal armour, and came over with his arms behind his head. The red-haired girl showed to Lucy, who was immensely relieved that they had gotten both scrolls.

"Thank god nobody decided to take our Earth scroll," Lucy said, checking up on it. "The sun's almost rising and we'd better go to the tower." They nodded and decided to save the congratulations until they had reached their destination, heading towards the tower. Doranbolt was quite surprised at the level of power Erza and Natsu possessed; _they're quite strong for their age, _the Rune Knight officer thought. _If they ever received the proper training, they'd be above S-class._

They reached the tower after a while, where Doranbolt's teammates were waiting for him. "You're late, Mest," Lahar said, frowning at him. "What took you so long? The second trial won't be long now."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Doranbolt said, scratching his head. "I got a little side-tracked, you see."

"And we were fortunate as well," Lucy said, smiling at him. "Mest-san helped us get both scrolls. We might actually have failed if he didn't help us."

"Oh, it was nothing," Doranbolt said. "You three did great on your own. You make a good team! This is the door we go through so I guess I'll see you guys later." He waved to them before going inside the room, the smile never leaving his face. Following his departure, Team 7 decided to enter their room as well and open their scrolls there. _There's something weird about that guy, _Erza thought. _He seems a little... too nice._

* * *

"I've been waiting for you, Doranbolt," Ivan smiled as his team entered the room. "When you didn't show up, I was beginning to worry a little... you're very valuable as a Raven Tail spy to me."

"There's nothing to worry about," Doranbolt said. "I was simply escorting Erza Scarlet and her team through the Forest of Death. We can't have them failing these trials, can we?"

"Certainly not," Ivan said. "So, tell me; what have you learned about her?"

"I've learned a lot, Ivan-sama," Doranbolt said, holding out a card. "It's all here, in case you're interested. Will you be there for the next trial?"

"Of course," Ivan answered, taking the card. "The next trial will be quite interesting... and simple. Not to mention the old fool is losing his touch these days; there's no way he'll be able to see through my Illusion Magic. But remember, you need to withdraw before the trial begins."

"Right," Doranbolt said. "That won't be a problem; after all, I've done it seven times in row." He withdrew to the bathroom, intending to wash his face. They watched him go and Lahar waited until the spy had closed the door behind him.

"Can we trust him, Ivan-sama?" Lahar asked. "I mean, that boy's history is-"

"Don't doubt my judgement, Lahar," Ivan said, smiling at the man and freezing him. "I have the utmost faith in Doranbolt and I expect you to play your part, as well."

"Yes, of course, Ivan-sama," Lahar said, bowing. "You don't need to worry about that." The man merely stroked his goatee amusedly before disappearing in a torrent of shikigami.

* * *

"Hey guys," Macao greeted as Team 7 walked in. "What's up? Long time no see." Natsu's eyes widened before he tackled Macao in a hug while the older guy just laughed. _Man, I can't believe they made it through the Forest of Death, _he thought. _Then again, I knew they could do it. _He hugged Natsu for a second before putting him down, patting his white coat.

"Hey, Macao-sensei," Lucy smiled. "But what're you doing here? I thought we were going to the second trial, from here."

"You will be going," Macao said. "Or, to be blunt, I'll be taking you there. You see, Master ordered many of us older mages to welcome the test-takers. I was lucky to be the one assigned to you guys. And you made it just in time, too. Congratulations on passing the first trial!"

"Really?" Lucy asked, tears in her eyes. "It's over! It's finally over; I never want to do that thing ever again."

"Yep, it's over," Macao said. "I'd love to treat you to some food but-"

"FOOD!" Natsu yelled as he jumped up and down. "No more fish and plants! I'm going to have inarizushi and ramen later!" Erza and Lucy fell to the floor, wondering where the pink-haired boy got his energy from. _Does he ever run out of power? _Erza thought, exhaustion crawling up her legs. Lucy was in a similar condition; however, after that outburst, Natsu also collapsed to his knees and panted.

"You guys did a good job!" Macao complimented. "It's also a good thing that you didn't peek in these scrolls. Several of them have been sealed with my Purple Flare and, trust me, you don't wanna get that in the face. Of course, not all of them were secured by my magic; other mages also pooled in their Magic power. In other words, it's good that you didn't peek inside."

"But what was the point of that rule?" Lucy asked. "Did it matter if we looked inside or not?"

"Think of it as you would a job," Macao explained. "You're tasked with taking two important documents from Fairy Tail to another guild. Nobody's supposed to read what's inside it and it's meant only for the eyes of the Masters. Maybe it's secret information about the guilds and cities, or to do with upcoming events. Maybe it's a special letter concerning your lives. Whatever the case, you can't read what's inside it."

"I get it," Natsu said, nodding his head. Inwardly, he and Lucy were both relieved that Doranbolt had stopped them from looking inside. _I owe you big time, Mest-san, _he thought. Erza just smirked knowingly at them before asking Macao about the writing on the wall, wondering what it meant. It concerned Heaven and Earth attributes, puzzling the red-haired girl.

"Good point," Macao said, clearing his throat. "Well, the others are gonna give you lectures about that. But I'll just give you the short version; Heaven stands for your mind while Earth stands for your body. It talks about how you should work to acquire both of these qualities; for example, Natsu, if your weakness is your mind then you should work hard to learn all of the information and skills you need to prepare for your jobs. On the other hand, Lucy, if your weakness is your body then you have to train hard and practice your skills until you drop."

"Right, right," Natsu grumbled, folding his arms and tapping his feet. "So what about the third trial? When does that start?"

"Uh, yeah," Macao said, looking to the side. "About that. You guys have to remember not to push it too much; especially you, Natsu, I'm worr-"

"Don't worry, Macao-sensei," Natsu said, showing the blue-haired man his Fairy Tail emblem. "Remember when I got this symbol. It means I'm a full-fledged mage, right? So I can take anything! No problem!" He grinned at Macao, causing them all to smile at him. _I guess he's too obstinate, _Macao thought. _But that might be a good thing. _Erza had a knowing look in her eyes since she had expected the reaction from Natsu.

* * *

_There's more of them than I expected, _Cana thought as she looked at the assembled crowd of mages. "Congratulations at passing the first trial!" she said, her voice magnified by the microphone. "There are only seventeen teams left. Now, I'm going to let Master explain the second trial to you kids." Around Cana, many S-class and Elder mages had been assembled, including Laxus, who smiled at his team. At the corner, Ivan stood in his normal clothes but his Illusion Magic prompted them to see only a spiky-haired mage.

"Thank you, Cana," Makarov spoke, his words carrying great weight. "I also congratulate you on completing the first half of the S-class Promotion Trials. Well done! Now, before I explain to you what the second trial entails, I want to tell you the true purpose of the Promotion Trials. Why do you think we hold them in conjunction with our allies?"

"Isn't it to increase the abilities of the mages and friendship between the nations?" Evergreen asked. "I mean, that's the official reason why, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Makarov said. "However, the true purpose of the S-class Promotion Trials is much more than that. Bluntly put, it is the representation of the battle between the guilds. The Magic Council strictly forbids fighting between guilds; therefore, these S-class Promotion Trials are almost a tournament with the plus point being that you can become S-class mages."

"Tell us more about this," Loke said, holding out his hands. "We're new to the Promotion Trials." Makarov nodded, liking the boy's humble nature. He also knew about the orange-haired mage's exploits with women, which had automatically caused Makarov to admire him. _I'll talk with him later about that, _he thought perversely before going on to talk more about the S-class Promotion Trials.

"Many of our neighbouring guilds used to be at war with us," Makarov explained. "The cities would always be in constant danger. Therefore, each guild decided to choose their best mages to battle. That's how the S-class Promotion Trials really began. As time passed, we decided to make candidates more ambitious and eager for this battle, eventually starting the idea of promoting the mages to S-class if they exhibited the correct qualities."

"But why tell us this?" Lucy asked. "I mean, it's good to know the true meaning and all. But why would you tell us this before the second trial, Master?"

"To warn you, in a way," Makarov answered, looking pointedly at them. "Many rich landlords, royals, and counsellors will come from across Fiore to Magnolia to view this event. How you perform will reflect the country's strength and stability; that's why I'm telling you not to hold back and give it your all. And to answer many of your questions, the second trial won't be anytime soon; this is only a preliminary round to select the ones who will go on to the final half. Here is your proctor for this test."

"My name is Alzack Connell," Alzack said, standing forward. "I'm going to be the proctor for this preliminary round and the second trial. Nice to meet you guys! Oh, and to crush your spirits, the preliminary round's going to take place... now!" At that, almost all of their faces fell while Gajeel raised an eyebrow.

"Hold on a second!" Freed said, raising his hand. "Why now? We're tired from the first trial and haven't gotten the time to recover. It's best that we have this at a later date, don't you think?"

"Not a chance, mate," Alzack said. "There won't be any time after today for the preliminary. Everyone's going to get busy with the second trial! So you see, we gotta do it now. I know a lot of you are tired and bruised up but when you're a S-class mage, or even an Elder mage, you never get the time to rest up before the battle. So stop whining and deal with it! By the way, you don't all have to battle; if any of you want to back out, this is your only chance."

The teams had begun to talk amongst themselves. While they were tired and wounded, most of the Fairy Tail squads decided to battle it out and not give up. However, Lucy was looking worriedly at Erza, who was clutching her arm in pain and decided to tell her what she felt. "Erza," she said, causing the red-haired girl to look at her. "You've got to quit now. You're in no shape for this preliminary; if you go ahead, you'll just lose." She didn't notice that Lucy was addressing her without the -san suffix.

"What?!" Erza hissed sharply. "Have you lost your mind, Lucy? I can't give up! You know that!" Lucy looked away, thinking back to how Ivan had given her the mark and how she had easily but brutally taken out Nullpudding. Natsu looked confusedly at Lucy, wondering why she was asking Erza to quit the Promotion Trials. _What's up with her? _he thought.

"You've got to," Lucy insisted, trying her best. "You've been like this ever since our battle with Ivan. It's that mark, isn't it? Come on, Erza, you know as well as I do that you can't go like this." She began to raise her hand but Erza quickly smacked it down, shaking her head. Natsu was bewildered beyond words, wondering what the two girls were talking about. Then, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a hand go up; it was Doranbolt's.

"Alright, you got me," Doranbolt said. "I'm out. I want to forfeit." He spoke calmly, as if he'd give it some thought, while Natsu just looked on in shock.

"Mest Gryder, right?" Alzack crossed out the name from his papers. "Okay, you're free to go. Don't give up and take the Promotion Trials again!" He smiled at the man and spoke his trademark line, while the seniors spoke amongst themselves about Doranbolt. The spy began to walk away when Natsu intercepted him, pointing his finger at him.

"What's the big idea, Mest-san?!" Natsu asked. "Why're you quitting now?!"

"Sorry, Natsu, for letting you down," Doranbolt said. "But my body just can't go anymore. I'm all out of Magic power and I can't put my life on the line, especially not before I get a break. I hope you understand, Natsu; I'm sure you can become S-class, just believe in yourself. Try your best and don't think about me." Having said that, he waved at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer before leaving the group, a smile appearing on his face.

"This isn't the first time I'm seeing his face," Makarov said, deep in thought. "He also drops out right before the battles. What kind of game is he playing?" He looked at Cana and gestured to her papers.

"Right," Cana said, going through her sheets. "Mest Gryder, huh? He's failed the S-class Promotion Trials six times in a row before this; guess that makes it his seventh. His test scores at the Academy were average at best and he passed the Graduation Test after failing three times. As for the requests he's done, Mest has finished fourteen Normal jobs. Not exactly the best battle record to boast about."

"That's true," Makarov said. "But there's something about that kid... anyways, it's time to put our attention back here." She nodded and turned to the rookie mages. Meanwhile, Ivan chuckled to himself lowly as he watched Doranbolt leave. _I always wonder how he does it, _he thought, looking at Makarov. _You've slipped up a lot, old man._

"So, uh," Alzack prompted, looking at them. "Is there anybody else that would like to forfeit?"

"Don't even think about it, Lucy," Erza warned, glaring at the blonde. "You've already done enough! Just stay out of it, okay? This doesn't concern you; to reach my goal, I need to keep getting stronger and the second trial will do exactly that, fighting the strongest adversaries there are. _This _is the path I walk and nobody can change that." Lucy quivered from Erza's words, threatening to burst into tears.

"What's wrong with you, Erza?" Natsu growled. "Can't you see that she wants what's best for you? She's a good friend to you and only thinks about-"

"Natsu," Erza smiled, cutting him off. "You're one of the ones I want to fight the most." His eyes widened as he realized that she had finally acknowledged his challenges, which he had been giving since the beginning. _She wants to fight me? _Natsu thought incredulously, his face breaking into a grin. He nodded to her before facing the front, forgetting his aching body and eager to start the preliminary round.

"Since there's nobody else that wants to forfeit," Alzack said, "let's begin! The fighters' names will appear on the panel and everybody, except them, must take to the spectator area. This will be a one-on-one fight and it goes on until one of you dies or is rendered incapable of fighting further. Of course, you are allowed to admit defeat during any moment in the fight. Are there any questions?" Nobody had any questions so they began the selection of the candidates for the second trial, people such as Elfman and Natsu very excited. Many names appeared on the panel before settling on two: _Erza Scarlet vs. Obra.__  
_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: **_The Preliminary Round Begins! The rookies' determination!_

_Right off the bat, huh? _Erza thought. _Looks like they didn't waste any time. _She clutched her hand as waves of pain rippled over her body, making her want to lie down on the floor and not get up. But she remembered her words to Natsu, challenging him, and lecturing Lucy; Erza shook her head and straightened, looking at Obra, who was facing her silently. Everybody else took to the spectator area while Laxus walked passed her slowly, speaking discreetly to her.

"Erza," Laxus said, causing her to turn her head slightly. "Don't use your Requip. In fact, even your Sword Magic should be kept to the minimal."

"So you know about it?" Erza asked. "You guys are too curious for your own good."

"If that mark gets out of control, your life could be in danger," Laxus continued, starting to walk away. "If that happens, I'll have to step in and stop the fight. Good luck!" He smiled at her before walking away while Erza's eyes widened, her fingers going to the Purgatory. _This thing, _Erza thought. _It seems to be responding to my Magic power. Every time I use it, this mark grows stronger and gets more control over my body._

"Hello there, Erza," Obra said. "You don't seem to be in great shape. Remember I told you that I wouldn't hold back the next time?"

"Yeah, you did bark a lot back there," Erza smirked. "And gave me your Earth scroll after I wiped the floor with your teammate." Back in the spectator area, Nullpudding gritted his teeth as he wished he could pay her back. _I'll wipe that smirk off your face, girl, _he thought angrily. _Just you wait._

"We'll see how well you do now," Obra growled. Ivan was chuckling as he looked at the fight; the man had found himself an empty space and his Illusion Magic already protected him from their eyes. _You see, Erza, _he thought evilly. _While I'm sure you'll try not to use your Magic power, Obra's unique abilities will be disastrous for you in that aspect. _Erza didn't know that, upon loss of her Magic power, the Purgatory would try to take over even quicker since it would meet less resistance.

"Alright," Alzack said. "Let the match begin!" He stepped back and allowed the contestants to fight. Obra knew he couldn't use his full power since that would reduce the Magic powers of everybody in the room. He would have to focus on Erza only and concentrate his magic-nullifying ability. _I have to keep my Sword Magic to a minimal, _Erza thought, wondering how she would go about this. _But I might have to go hand-to-hand on this one._

Obra charged towards Erza but the red-haired mage dodged to the side, avoiding the puppet. She kicked at Obra, catching it in the face, and sending him to the ground. She would have pulverized Obra's face with her armoured fist when Obra chose that moment to use his magic; Erza immediately stopped as she couldn't move her body, wondering what had happened. _That's right, Obra, _Ivan thought. _Take out all of her Magic power. Then, she'll be forced to use the Purgatory!_

_This is bad, _Erza thought. _I can't move my limbs! _Her muscles hurt and her breaths came out in short gasps. Obra swiftly got to its feet before kicking Erza in the face, hurting her and causing her to the crash to the floor. She tried to get up but her eyes immediately widened before her arms gave way, her body falling forward. "My Magic power," she gasped. "What're you doing, you creep?"

"Only noticed now?" Obra mocked in its sly voice. He started to laugh, causing everybody to look away in disgust at the sound. Erza continued to writhe in pain as she felt her Magic power decrease steadily. _I need to d-do s-something, _Erza thought desperately. _I can't lose here! _She summoned all her strength, which wasn't a lot, and head-butted Obra in the stomach, breaking his concentration and causing him to fall to the floor. Erza clutched her head in pain, feeling as if she had hit solid rock. _What is that guy made of?_

"I'm not ready to lose yet," Erza said, getting to her feet. "I've still got Magic power left, you know." Obra silently got up before shooting towards Erza, causing her to move to the right. She could feel him trying to direct his magic but Erza never stopped moving, despite her exhaustion, and he wasn't able to catch her. Then, her foot caught on the edge of a tile on the ground, causing her to trip. Erza quickly rolled away but not before Obra got the chance to take away some more Magic power.

_I'm not making any progress, _Erza thought. _I can't prolong this fight, because of the mark. I just have to get close to him. _She didn't have the speed to do it quickly and she couldn't keep dodging Obra's magic, the whole time. The Purgatory had briefly gone, leaving Erza with one chance to end the fight. "COME ON, ERZA!" Natsu roared, causing her to look at him. "Are you just going to let this guy go over you?! I thought the number one rookie had more than that."

_You're right, Natsu, _Erza smiled as her confidence increased. _Thanks for being here for me. I won't let you down! _She stopped bounding about and charged towards Obra, deciding to use the moves she knew in hand-to-hand combat. Erza remembered Hiroshi's annoying tendency to jump over her head and decided that would help her. She quickly moved to the right before rolling behind his back, causing him to turn around sluggishly. _Now's my chance!_

"How do you like this?!" Erza shouted as she punched Obra in the face, making cracks. "Take this!" She kicked it in the neck, her hand on the ground for support, before kicking Obra again with her other foot. To everyone's surprise, Obra's head wobbled slightly; however, Erza was too immersed in the moment and didn't notice, carrying on the fight. She quickly kicked underneath Obra, making the puppet lose his balance, and summoned her Black Wing Armour sword.

At that moment, the Purgatory flared and she was almost paralysed again. _NO! _Erza thought. _I have to keep going. _**_He _**_wouldn't give up! Natsu wouldn't give up either! _She yelled out in determination, ignoring the pain of the mark, and stabbed her sword into Obra. The blade slammed into the puppet's body, crushing it and breaking the structure. From inside, a tiny creature hopping outside and shot towards the wall of the room, squeezing through a large crack in it.

As soon as her sword disappeared, Erza hit the ground in pain. Every muscle in her body felt as if it was on fire and ignoring the Purgatory had taken a lot out of her. Makarov, Cana and the other mages were astounded that Erza had managed to resist the mark's influence while Ivan just narrowed his eyes, not pleased. _Obra, I'm not happy with you! _he thought. _We're definitely going to have a talk about that._

"The winner of the match is Erza Scarlet," Alzack declared. "Obra involuntarily forfeited by running away and it seemed to me that she won, anyway." Makarov nodded to Laxus, who had come downstairs and led Erza away, through a door. _Where are they going? _Natsu and Lucy thought. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer dismissed the thought and put his mind back to the preliminaries. _I need to win my match if I wanna have one with Erza. _On the other hand, Lucy was wondering if it had anything to do with the Purgatory.

* * *

"Are you serious, Laxus?" Erza asked. "I want to see the contestants for the second trial. Besides, it doesn't hurt as much now." The two were walking towards a secret chamber with dim lighting and high walls. Laxus had insisted on sealing off the Purgatory immediately and it was an order from Makarov; he would later tell her who she would face in the second half.

"Don't worry about it," Laxus said, smiling. "I'm sure Natsu's gonna be fine, Erza. Now, requip into your normal clothes; my spell won't work with all that armour on." Erza blushed slightly as the Lightning Dragon Slayer had realized she wanted to see Natsu fight. She requiped out of her regular armour into a sleeveless blouse, causing Laxus to nod.

"What're you going to do, exactly?" Erza asked. "How do you intend to seal off this Purgatory?"

"I'm going to use complex Supportive Magic," Laxus answered. "Hold out your left arm and let me see it." She held out her left arm while Laxus kneeled, examining the Purgatory. It was a small triangular mark underneath Erza's Fairy Tail emblem but it was beginning to swell, confirming Laxus' suspicious about the mark. _It's good that this happened now, _he thought.

"Is it that bad?" Erza asked, reading Laxus' expression. "What would happen if you didn't treat it?"

"You don't wanna know," Laxus merely said. "Now, no more questions and let me do this! **Bind Nest.**" Having said that, he tapped Erza on the mark. On top of the Purgatory, a circle pattern appeared and started to contain the mark's evil. Erza screamed in pain and tried to touch her left arm but Laxus restrained her, keeping her arms in place. _You'll thank me for this later, _the Lightning mage thought.

The nest-like pattern became denser over the next few seconds before it finished its job, causing both the Bind Nest and Purgatory to disappear. "It won't act up again," Laxus said as Erza panted on the floor. "It's all bound up now. But remember this; the Purgatory responds to your will and that means that if you ever doubt yourself or grow uncertain of your power, it will return with full force." After that, Erza's eyes closed and she hit the floor, falling asleep and leaving silence for the next few seconds.

"You're all grown-up, Laxus-chan," Ivan chuckled, causing Laxus to whirl around in surprise. "Why such a shocked look? Won't you welcome your father back? Or do you actually believe the false tales the old man's been accusing me off?"

"Don't try your mind games on me, Dad," Laxus growled. "They used to work, all those years ago. But Gramps has opened my eyes to the truth; the truth is that you betrayed this guild and are a danger to the residents of Magnolia. That's what I believe!"

"Is that so?" Ivan asked, mockingly. "So I see that you've finally grown a brain, huh? In any case, my business is not with you; it's with that girl behind you."

"Why're you after Erza?" Laxus asked. "She's one of my students, you know."

"Oh, I'm aware," Ivan said. "As to why I'm after her, it's merely to... make an investment, you could say. I didn't have any luck with you; you were born a weak and sickly child. Then, I decided to put that Dragon Lacrima inside you in hopes that you'd grow up to be a fine warrior of mine. That _did _happen but you weren't supposed to be on Makarov's side!"

"So now, you're after Erza?" Laxus asked, not believing the man that was his father. "What's your plan? So you plan to make her stronger and have her become your personal assistant? Do you really think that'll work?"

"Why yes," Ivan merely said. "I think that'll work. The girl definitely has much more potential than you did; she's one of the survivors of **that **tower, isn't she? They make excellent warriors, indeed. Not to mention, she's an avenger and would do anything to get the power she needs to kill Jellal. Indeed, this is a good investment for me and an addition to Raven Tail."

"Raven Tail?" Laxus' eyes widened. "What're you talking about, old man?"

"That's right, Laxus-chan," Ivan laughed. "The recently-made guild, Raven Tail, is mine; I'm the Master, you see! I came to these S-class Promotion Trials to find a candidate that shines like a diamond; I found my diamond in Erza-chan. While there's a couple that are stronger than her, they don't have the drive needed to succeed. Like our Erza-chan." He began walking towards them, looking at the unconscious Erza.

"Don't come any closer to Erza!" Laxus warned, lightning flashing around him. "While you may have been one of our Aces and my father, I won't hesitate to take you down with everything I've got!" He looked seriously at Ivan, who burst into laughter at his outburst.

"Definitely," Ivan said, still chuckling. "You've even earned the nickname 'The Lightning Saint'. As for Erza, I can be patient; I can guarantee that she'll eventually seek me out for power. She has that type of disposition, you know. Also, you mentioned you could kill me? Give it your best shot; come on, you'll have ended a great evil!" He smiled at Laxus, who narrowed his eyes before charging at Ivan. He smashed a lightning-enhanced punch into Ivan's gut, only to meet with air and Ivan's enormous laughter.

_It was only a Thought Projection, _Laxus thought, calming down. _What was that? I definitely lost it for a second. _He turned towards Erza's unconscious body and decided to get her to the hospital. Now that people like Ivan were after him, as well as the second trial coming up, Laxus decided to give the red-haired girl training over the next month. _Maybe if I manage to teach her some new techniques, she will never think of using the Purgatory's power._

* * *

"It's time for the second match," Alzack announced and the panel began its selection, settling on two names. "Would Nullpudding and Max Alors please come down to the arena?" Gray bumped fists with Max while Lisanna wished him good luck, the energetic mage going down the stairs. _Weakling, _Nullpudding thought as he went down the stairs to the ground._  
_

"Do you think Max is going to be alright?" Lisanna asked. "I mean, I've heard that guy's really strong." Gray didn't answer, keeping his eyes on the fight. He knew that Max was no pushover but Nullpudding just gave him a bad feeling.

"Relax, Lisanna," Cana said, chuckling. "You may think Max isn't that strong but he's been training like crazy after the Academy. Also, don't forget that you three have had a few days to rest while these guys just arrived yesterday. So, I wouldn't count Max out." Lisanna nodded, looking back at the upcoming fight, while Gray felt slightly relieved.

"Alright, you may proceed," Alzack said before moving away. "Fight to the best of your ability!" Nullpudding scoffed and used his Needle Magic to empower his hands, ready to take Max on. The latter was lucky since the ground they were fighting on was quite dusty and there was sand in places too, which he could manipulate. The Raven Tail mage charged at Max, throwing a punch with blinding speed at him.

"**Sand Wall,**" Max held out his arms before him, causing a wall of sand to rise. Nullpudding's punch crashed against Max's defences, struggling against it but eventually pushing through. However, Max had simply used the time to move away from Nullpudding. The latter scowled before charging towards Max, throwing a barrage of punches but Max managed to dodge all of them, easily moving out of the way.

"What's going on here?!" Nullpudding asked. "Why aren't my strikes landing?" After being beaten badly by Erza, he had lost his cool attitude and his temper wasn't exactly at his best.

"You're just too weak," Max said, smiling. "Try to hit me once!" He held up his hand, gesturing with his fingers.

"Oh, I'll do more than hit you," Nullpudding growled. "**Needle Barrage!**" He released a string of spikes at Max, who immediately realized his Sand Wall would be too thin for the sharp needles. _Sometimes, _he recalled Cana's words during training. _Offense is the best defense.__  
_

"**Sand Slash,**" Max yelled, his hand gathering sand. He launched it like a boomerang at the line of needles, deflecting them and sending them flying in all directions. Some ended up getting stuck in the ceiling, some in the ground and some in the walls. Nullpudding's eyes widened as he wondered why he was having trouble fighting Max. _He's stronger than I thought, _Nullpudding decided. _Maybe this'll be a good workout for me, after all._

"I didn't know Max was that strong," Freed said, looking at him. "It took me and Bickslow to push that guy back yet Max isn't doing bad on his own."

"Yeah, but he's well-rested," Evergreen pointed out. "They were probably the first team to arrive at this place. That's pretty smart, actually."

"We should've thought of that," Freed continued. "Then, we could've avoided a lot of fighting. But at least we managed to help Lucy and her team, which is worth it, I guess." Bickslow and Evergreen nodded before turning their attention back to the fight.

"Not bad, kid," Nullpudding said. "But I haven't even gotten serious yet!" He released another volley of attacks at Max, who again dodged all of them. Nullpudding realized that Max seemed to slip away at the last second, just before his blow connected. _Let's see what he does with this, _he thought. The Raven Tail mage kicked underneath Max, tripping him. Then, with great speed, Nullpudding aimed a punch at his gut.

Sand grabbed Max and pulled him out of harm's way, causing Nullpudding to miss. "I've figured out your magic," Nullpudding said, chuckling. "Speed isn't the reason why I couldn't hit you. It was the sand; you were manipulating it to move you out of the range of my strikes, just at the last second." Max's eyes widened while Cana raised an eyebrow. _He figured out Max's technique, _she thought in surprise. _It took Gray and Lisanna a while to understand it._

"Aren't you the smart one?" Max asked snidely. "So you realized what I was doing; what're you gonna do about it?" Then, Nullpudding pointed at his feet and Max immediately realized that Nullpudding had gotten him out of the sand. _Shit, _Max thought. _I need to trap him before he gets to me. _He made a fist and tendrils of sand grabbed Nullpudding but the latter's whole body became sharper, cutting through the sand. Then, Nullpudding charged at him with a bloodthirsty grin.

Max couldn't react in time and Nullpudding grabbed his neck, snapping it. Every rookie mage's eyes were wide and a look of horror on their face... until Max's body erupted into sand. _That was a sand clone? _Nullpudding's eyes widened, turning around. Max shot out of the ground, dropping his Transformation Magic, before shouting his strongest spell, "**Sand Rebellion.**" He swiped his hand and a massive torrent of sand exploded upwards, clashing against Nullpudding and pushing him away.

"**Needle Sandstorm!**" Nullpudding yelled, expelling an enormous amount of spikes from his skin. The needles got caught up in the sand, slowing it down considerably but not before Nullpudding was sent to the wall, collapsing onto the ground. The mages were deeply surprised at Max's power while the rookies wondered how he had gotten so much stronger, compared to his grades at the Academy.

"But when did he plant a clone?" Loke asked. "I didn't catch that part!"

"Do you remember when Max put up his Sand Wall?" Elfman said, causing Loke to nod his head. "While Nullpudding was busy getting through that, Max left a sand clone and used Transformation Magic to disguise himself as the ground. After that, he waited until Nullpudding got a clear hit on his sand clone to jump out and use his strongest spell."

"He's better than I thought," Mirajane said. "I didn't think he was very strong when I first saw him. But the kid's got pretty good strategies." Elfman and Loke nodded before turning back to the battlefield, looking as Max stood victorious over Nullpudding. _I did it! _The sand mage thought. _I proved myself, Cana-sensei!_

* * *

"That's it!" Cana said, smiling. "Way to go, Max! That was _very _skillfully executed, I must say."

"Dude, that was smooth," Gray said, bumping fists with Max. "I definitely didn't expect you to be that good, though."

"Surprise, surprise!" Max said, laughing. "I've become a lot stronger, you know." The other three nodded, with Gray and Lisanna wondering who they would fight.

"Damn, I didn't know Max was that tough," Natsu growled, raising his fist. "I wonder if I can beat him..." He trailed off while Lucy just looked at the panel, wondering if she would be the next person. Then, at that moment, Laxus appeared in a flash of light and stood beside Lucy. He smiled at them and waved his hand, while Natsu immediately inquired about Erza.

"Hey, Laxus-taicho," Natsu said. "What happened? Why'd you suddenly leave with Erza?"

"Don't worry, Natsu," Laxus replied. "She's resting at the infirmary ward; that last battle really took it out of her, you know." The pink-haired Dragon Slayer nodded before turning his attention back to the preliminaries while Lucy still looked at Laxus.

"Sensei, is she really alright now?" Lucy asked, hoping Laxus understood what she meant. "That thing-"

"Everything's under control, Lucy," Laxus smiled. "Like I said, you have nothing to worry about. Look, the third match has already started!" Lucy nodded, relieved that the Purgatory was regulated. _Guess I'll tell Gramps about my little run-in later, _the Lightning Dragon Slayer thought.

* * *

The panel had chosen the next two names: _Aria vs. Lahar. _Both contestants had come down to the arena and were facing off against each other. "You may begin!" Alzack exclaimed, moving away. _It's that guy, huh? _Natsu thought, looking at Aria. _Let's just see how strong he is. _Aria had a grin on his face while Lahar wondered whether he should take the fight seriously, as there was an alliance between Raven Tail and Phantom Lord for that particular job. He decided to fight to his best and not worry about the consequences.

"You think you stand a chance?" Aria asked. "My Airspace will destroy you, little man!" He splayed his arms and Lahar instinctively dodged to the right, narrowly dodging a blast of wind. It destroyed the ground and displaced the dirt, causing all of the mages to look in surprise. _That wind, _Laxus noticed. _It's moving very fast; it gives the impression that it's invisible._

"I'll take you down!" Lahar growled, drawing his sword. He charged at Aria but the latter pushed his hand forward, causing a mat of air to crash into Lahar and send him tumbling back.

"It's time to end this fight," Aria said. "**Zetsu.**" A series of airspaces opened up, purple Magic circles on top of them, and hit Lahar. The man screamed in pain as magical blasts assaulted him from the airspaces, causing him to writhe on the ground in pain. Aria merely shook his head amusedly before turning to Alzack, to ask him to stop the match. Then, at that moment, he suddenly froze as multiple runes appeared on his body.

"That's my Jutsu Shiki," Lahar gasped out, getting to his feet. "You won't be moving for a while. Time to pay you back!" He walked towards Aria and swung his sword, cutting the man across the chest. He cried out in pain as blood trickled down his torso; Lahar slashed at the latter's back, giving him another cut. He was about to hit Aria again but the man released his Magic power, waves of purple energy exploding out. Lahar's magic tried to contain him but it merely dissipated away, leaving the Rune Knight officer open.

"Die!" Aria roared. He launched another wave of Airspace at Lahar but the air wasn't moving as fast as before, probably due to Aria having lost a lot of Magic power. Lahar was able to slash through the mat of air, slicing it up. _Just my luck that this guy has a sword, _Aria thought. _Air Magic is vulnerable to Sword Magic. _Lahar swung his sword and sent a shockwave towards Aria, pushing him back.**  
**

"Don't underestimate me!" Lahar yelled, pointing a finger. "**Jutsu Shiki: Bullets.**" Runes wrapped around his finger before Lahar shot a barrage of bullets at Aria, creating a smokescreen and blocking everyone's view on Aria. The spy continued for a few seconds before collapsing to one knee, feeling exhausted. _I've done it, _he thought. _They were too fast for him to dodge, for sure. _Unbeknownst to him, Aria was hovering behind him and was using his deadliest spell.

"Right behind you," Aria said, causing Lahar to whirl around. "**Metsu.**" Lahar was about to swing his sword at Aria with all his Magic power when his eyes widened, feeling his strength beginning to fade away. He dropped his blade as his knees began shaking, completely falling on the floor in pain. Many of the rookies had shocked faces while the S-class mages merely narrowed their eyes, wondering how Aria could wield such dangerous power. _He's completely drained Lahar's Magic power, _Jura thought.

"Yep, he's out," Alzack said, checking on Lahar. "The winner of this match is Aria! Guys, take him away." He moved to the side and let the stretchers take Lahar away, the latter still frozen up. _What kind of magic was that?! _Natsu thought, astounded. _He took out that guy with a single spell. _Lucy was also getting nervous, realizing that everyone there had immensely powerful magic. She was praying that she wasn't next when the panel selected its next two fighters: _Evergreen vs. Lucy Heartfilia._

* * *

"Of all the people for Evergreen to go up against," Freed sighed. "It just had to be Lucy, didn't it?" Bickslow nodded, looking at the fight with interest. _Evergreen's got a good chance of winning with her Fairy Magic, _Hayato thought. _But the question is whether she can muster up her strength against Lucy. _Back on the field, Lucy and Evergreen were standing face-to-face while all the Fairy Tail mages could guess how serious the fight must have been for them.

"I didn't think I'd face you yet," Evergreen said, looking at Lucy. "Can you believe... it makes me a little nervous? But don't think I'm going to hold back on you."

"Same to you," Lucy replied, smiling. "I'm going to beat you, Evergreen; I'm going to the finals, you know."

"Let's start the fourth match, shall we?" Alzack prompted. "You may begin!" Having said that, both Lucy and Evergreen didn't move; they looked at each other in the eyes, wondering who would strike first. Then, Evergreen's magic circle appeared as Lucy's hand went to her Keys, summoning Sagittarius. He nodded to Lucy and shot arrows towards Evergreen, who tried to dodge them but got cut a few times.

"My turn," Evergreen said, activating her Fairy Magic. "**Fairy Ray.**" She shot a few rays at Sagittarius, catching the archer and sending him back to the Celestial Spirit World. _I can't summon Taurus today, _Lucy thought. _And Sagittarius is out for a while. Guess I need to use Cancer. _She opened the Gate of the Crab and summoned Cancer, the man ready with his scissors.

"Get her, Cancer!" Lucy yelled, pointing to Evergreen. Cancer nodded and shot towards Evergreen, scissors ready to draw blood. Evergreen knew that Cancer was too nimble to be caught by her Fairy Ray, so she decided to use her strongest spell before catching Lucy. _Come on, Lucy!_ Natsu thought. _I know you can win this match!_

"**Fairy Bomb: Gremlin,**" Evergreen said. "You should have noticed me spreading this dust!" The dust swirled around Cancer before small explosions grabbed the Celestial Spirit, assaulting him from all sides. The man screamed before retuning back to the Celestial Spirit World, leaving Lucy with no keys to use at the moment. She looked up to find that Evergreen had disappeared from the stage, looking around to find her. "Looking for me, Lucy?"

Lucy turned around... and stared right into Evergreen's glowing eyes. The effect was immediate; Lucy's body began turning to stone, hardening and turning grey. Many of the teams were shocked, especially Natsu, while Freed, Bickslow, and Hayato had knowing expressions on their faces. "It's over for you, Lucy," Evergreen said. "Proctor, please end the fight. Lucy's going to remain like this until I move away or stop the magic."

"You can do this, Lucy!" Natsu roared. "After coming all this way, you're just gonna be a statue?!" Mirajane merely shook her head and thought, _There's no point. She had no talent to begin with. _Evergreen just gave a small laugh before looking expectantly at Alzack, who scratched his head for a moment, wondering whether or not he should end the match.

"Pull through this, Lucy!" Elfman and Loke shouted. "You have to win this match! You can do this!" The three of them looked intently at the scene, hoping that Lucy would be able to resist the effects of Evergreen's magic. However, nothing happened and Alzack decided that it was best to end the match, not prolonging it any further.

"Alright," Alzack said. "The winner of this ma-" He was interrupted since, at that moment, Lucy shot out of the ground and tackled Evergreen to the floor. A lot of mages' eyes widened and mouth fell open, namely Freed and Bickslow. _Damn, she's smart, _Freed thought. _She probably used a Thought Projection at some point in the fight and used Transformation Magic, like Max, to disguise herself as the ground. _Hayato raised an eyebrow, deciding that Lucy was smarter than he gave her credit for, while Laxus just smiled proudly. The statue of Lucy crumbled away, falling to the ground in many pieces.

"What did she do, Cana-sensei?" Gray asked, looking at her. "I thought Evergreen caught her with her magic. How did she just come out of the ground and tackle Evergreen?" Lisanna nodded, also wanting to know how.

"Lucy already knew that Evergreen would try to use that magic," Cana explained, closing her eyes. "So she planned ahead; she left a Thought Projection in her place, while Evergreen was busy fighting her Celestial Spirits, and used Transformation Magic to look just like the ground. Evergreen thought she had caught Lucy in a trap but it was actually Evergreen who fell into Lucy's trap."

"Didn't know you had an actual brain, Lucy," Evergreen said, trying to get Lucy off. "I guess memorizing paragraphs and facts _does _increase brainpower a little bit, now. Get off!" She pushed Lucy off, who simply backed away before throwing a punch at Evergreen. The latter easily caught it before elbowing Lucy in the face, causing her to gasp in pain.

"Doesn't hurt a bit, Evergreen!" Lucy exclaimed, trying to act tough. "Now, I'll destroy you!" She engaged Evergreen in another battle but was pushed back, the latter being better than her at hand-to-hand combat and being a little stronger, as well. She punched Lucy in the face before kneeing her in the gut, sending her backwards in pain.

"You're way out of your league, Lucy," Evergreen smirked. "How many times have you ever used your fists in a fight? Almost never, is the answer. Whereas I have to use them in every single battle!" She batted down Lucy's fist before headbutting her and prepared to knock her out with her strongest punch, not holding back. She hit Lucy straight in the face, driving her into the wall, before panting heavily. Then, Lucy's image flickered and disappeared, causing Evergreen's eyes to widen.

"Sorry for calling you today, Taurus," Lucy said to the fighter. "Don't hurt her; just knock her out."

"Of course, Lucy," Taurus smiled at her. "Just don't make this a habit, okay?" He charged towards Evergreen with his axe drawn, the latter getting to her clumsily. He struck the ground in front of the Fairy mage with his Magic power, causing a shockwave to assault Evergreen from the ground. _NO! _Evergreen thought, falling to the ground. _If I'm going down... then so is she!_

"**Fairy Ray,**" Evergreen said, holding out her hand. A bolt of dust shot towards Lucy, striking the blonde in the stomach, and sending her flying into the wall. Taurus disappeared as both of the girls lay on the floor, apparently knocked out. _Who would've thought that Lucy had improved so much? _Laxus wondered, staring at the pair. _To defeat one of the top female fighters among the rookies... _The other teams were also impressed, surprised that Lucy had planted not one, but two Thought Projections at the beginning of the fight.

"Well, this was unexpected," Alzack said. "The match is a draw; there's no winner. And, according to the rules, there has to be winner to ascend to the second trial. That means that neither of them are going to the finals, unfortunately. But great fight, though!" Laxus and Hayato went down to the arena and came back up with Lucy and Evergreen respectively, putting them against the wall until they retained conscience.

"Man, that was a pretty good fight," Gray said. "I didn't think they'd fight so well, to be honest."

"Yeah, it's because you're stupid," Natsu laughed, pointing a finger at him. "I knew your brain was frozen, doubting someone from _my _team like that!"

"What'd you say, you idiot?" Gray asked, narrowing his eyes at him. "You're the guy whose brain is burned! More like you didn't have a brain in the first place; my team would wipe the floor with your team!"

"Keep dreaming," Natsu laughed. "You guys don't stand a chance against us... no offence, Lisanna. GRAY! Me and Erza could both defeat you with a finger!" Lisanna just shook her head, sighing at the two knuckleheads. Gray and Natsu got in each other's faces, glaring comically before turning away and eventually, walking away. Laxus and Cana just smiled sheepishly at each other before going with their students back to their area. They looked to the panel, which had already decided the next match: _Juvia Lockser vs. Loke._

* * *

"Alright, guys," Alzack said when they were in front of each other. "Get ready. You may begin!" Again, he stepped back and allowed the two to take the stage; Elfman and Mirajane were wondering how Loke would do, since they knew nothing about Juvia's powers, while Gajeel and Aria just smirked and sat back, ready to watch the show.

"I hate fighting beautiful women," Loke said. "It seems like such a waste, you know. I mean, we could be doing something so much better..." Immediately, all of the Fairy Tail mages face-palmed at the orange-haired mage. _That idiot! _Elfman thought as the S-class mages started laughing. _He's supposed to win this match and get me her number. Not try to get a date with her! _Jura just sighed and leaned against the wall, wondering where Loke's personality had come from.

"Is that so?" Juvia asked, taking a stance. "**Water Slicer.**" Loke's eyes widened as Juvia released blades of hardened water, shooting towards him at high speeds. _She's going to be tough, _Loke thought. _But I'm going to take her, anyways... Wait, that sounded wrong. _He laughed perversely before clumsily dodging the blades, watching in surprise as Juvia's spell destroyed a good section of the wall.

"Playing hard to get, huh?" Loke fingered his ring. "**Twister.**" He sent a miniature hurricane of wind towards Juvia, hoping to knock her out with the technique. Then, he would win the match and get her number afterwards. Needless to say, that didn't happen. The fierce winds tore at Juvia, trying to get her in the tornado but she simply burst into water, passing through the spell without taking any damage. Loke's eyes widened as he saw Juvia pass through one of his strongest spells.

"**Water Lock,**" Juvia said, holding out her hand. Loke tried to move away but was caught inside a large sphere of water, prompting him to hold his breath. _I have to do something, _he thought urgently. _I'll run out of air and suffocate if I don't! _He tapped one of his rings and a burst of fire shot outwards at the dome, evaporating the water. Loke fell to the ground and slowly got up, steam covering him.

"Not bad," Loke said. "Now, take this: **Lightning Stream!**" He sent a bolt of lightning towards Juvia but she merely walked through it, her body turning to water. Then, her eyes widened before she fell to her knees, feeling electrocuted. "Even I know that electricity's bad for water," he said as he walked towards her. "And, as much as I hate to do this, it's time to finish up our fight."

"Not so fast," Juvia said, lashing out with her hand. "**Water Cane.**" She held a whip-like shape of water and used it to trip Loke, causing him to fall on the ground. Juvia ignored how numb her body felt and got to her feet, preparing to use one of her strongest spells, "**Water Cyclone.**" In a couple of seconds, a large rotating torrent of water rushed out of her body and hit Loke, sending him spinning back. _This thing's even stronger than Twister, _he thought. _If only I had Regulus... _He washed up against the wall, collapsing to the ground.

"T-That w-was some seriously strong magic," Natsu said. "Was that just regular Water Magic, Laxus-taicho?"

"No, it wasn't," Laxus replied. "Just like how her teammate doesn't use regular Air Magic, but a stronger variation."

"This Phantom Lord team," Makarov said, looking at the fights. "It's clearly one to be feared. Now, we just have to see the long-haired one fight." The mages next to him nodded, wondering how strong they really were.

"The match has clearly ended," Alzack said, noting that Loke was unconscious. "The winner is Juvia Lockser! She's going to the second trial alright." Juvia nodded and looked towards Loke, wanting to tell him that she enjoyed the match, when Gajeel's voice cut through the silence.

"Juvia, come here," Gajeel said. "There's no need to talk to that loser. The match was pathetically easy for you." Many of the Fairy Tail teams gritted their teeth while Natsu tried to control his temper, cracking his knuckles. However, Elfman didn't have as much self-control and he gave out a roar, pointing his finger at Gajeel.

"What did you say?!" Elfman shouted. "That is no way to talk about someone, who tried their best in a fight! And you call yourself a man?" Aria frowned and made a move to go forward but Gajeel stopped him, shaking his head.

"There's no point in arguing," Gajeel said to him. "He's also a loser, just like the orange-haired runt."

"Care to run that by me again?" Elfman yelled, preparing to head over to Gajeel. "What did you just say?"

"Elfman!" Jura said, immediately silencing the whole room. "Calm down! There's no need to get so worked up; how can they call you a loser when they haven't even seen you fight yet? They have _no _idea of what you're capable of; as for their bad behaviour with Loke, I'm going to tell you now that you'll find many people in the world that aren't as... civilized or dignified as us." Smiles appeared on Makarov, Laxus, Hayato, and Cana's faces as they heard Jura speak, while the Phantom Lord mages growled in anger.

_Looks like Jura still has that trait, _Laxus thought. _I swear, that guy's a monster. _"Alright, it's time for the sixth round to begin," Alzack said. "But before we start, we will take five minutes to clean this place up a little. Take a break, guys." A few of the rookies decided to go to the toilet while others just talked amongst themselves; Natsu clenched his teeth as he wondered who would fight in the next match.

"Don't worry, Natsu," Lucy said, surprising the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. "I'm sure you could take them on; you've worked so hard to get here and you don't want to make a disgrace of yourself. Stay sharp and I'm sure you'll make it."

"Yeah, you're right!" Natsu exclaimed, pumping his fist. "Then, I'll finally have a 1v1 battle against Erza. I'm definitely _not _going to lose in these preliminaries."

"Good," Lucy smiled. "By the way, Natsu, I wanted to thank you. Even though it wasn't the real me, I found it really reassuring when you, Loke, and Elfman were cheering me on. That helped me carry on, you know."

"Really?" Natsu laughed. "No problem, I've got all the support you need. But hey, don't forget to cheer me on, okay?" She merely nodded and Natsu turned his attention back to the preliminaries, his confidence boosted. _These S-class Promotion Trials have done them good,_ Laxus noted. _Their teamwork's much better than it was, over a week ago._

"Alright, guys," Alzack said when everyone had returned. "Without delay, let's start the the sixth round of the preliminaries." The panel started going through the names, again, until it settled on the two: _Natsu Dragneel vs. Gray Fullbuster._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:** _The Preliminaries Continue! Who will go to the second trial?!_

"YES!" Natsu yelled, jumping down. "It's finally my turn; not to mention it's with Gray!" _This is it, _Laxus thought. _This is your chance to shine, Natsu. Show us... show us how much stronger you've gotten. _Lucy nodded, sharing his thoughts. However, across the spectator area, nearly all the Fairy Tail mages knew this was an assured victory for Gray. Back in the Academy, Gray's results had always been better than Natsu's and while he was fresh, Natsu looked in pretty bad shape from the Forest of Death.

"Darn it!" Freed said, slapping the banister. "I wish I was lucky as Gray. Why couldn't I get Natsu?" Bickslow nodded, wishing that he could have gotten Natsu. Judging from his appalling grades at the Academy, they knew that even they could probably take him down.

"Looks like I got an easy win," Gray said. "I'm definitely going to the second trial." He waved at his teammates before heading down, Lisanna wondering who she should support. _Sorry, Laxus, _Cana thought, looking at the Lightning mage. _Your boy doesn't stand a chance against mine; Gray's going to destroy him. _Team 10 also had similar thoughts and Bickslow was already wondering who would go next.

"Don't underestimate your opponents, Gray," Max said. "That's what that Nullpudding guy did to me and he lost badly." The Ice-Make mage decided to follow his advice, finding it hard nonetheless, while Lisanna was torn between who she should support. _Gray's my teammate, _she thought, blushing. _I should cheer for him; but I'm like... crazy about Natsu._

"Let the match begin!" Alzack said, moving away. Gray waited for a moment before charging at Natsu, throwing a punch. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer blocked it and threw his own, which Gray also blocked. The two struggled for a moment before Gray began to push Natsu back, the latter's arms aching. He let go and kicked at Gray, who easily blocked it with his own. Then, Gray swung his fist clockwise and hit Natsu on the right cheek, causing him to back away in pain.

"You're just tough talk," Gray scoffed. "It's better if I defeat a pathetic loser like you in one hit!" He smirked and pointed his finger at Natsu, deciding to end it with one hit of his magic.

"Let's see you try it," Natsu retorted. "You have no idea how much I've improved!" He brought up his fists and stared at Gray, wondering what he was going to do.

"Alright, take this!" Gray said, putting his right fist on his left palm and activating his magic. "**Ice-Make: Lance.**" He shot several ice lances at Natsu, moving at great speeds, and impaled Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer crashed into the wall before falling to the floor, not moving. _That was impressive! _Freed thought. _He knows a form of Creation Magic?!_

"What was that?" Aria asked, trying not to laugh. "I blinked and it was over; that kid's pitiful." He looked at Juvia, who had a sympathetic expression on her face, while Gajeel just seemed indifferent to the match. _This is what I meant, _Cana thought and looked at Laxus again. To her surprise, the Lightning mage didn't seem concerned about Natsu and the corners of his mouth actually curled upwards.

"That didn't even hurt," Natsu said, surprising everyone. "Did you expect that to take me down? Erza hits harder than you!" Gray blushed before clearing his throat and smirking at Natsu. _Maybe I underestimated him a little, _Cana thought. Several others were also having the same thoughts while Lucy and Elfman cheered him on, making the performance seem even more impressive.

"So you're not _that _weak," Gray scowled. "That wasn't even a strong spell, tough guy! **Ice-Make: Arrows!**" He shot a barrage of ice arrows at Natsu but the latter was able to dodge them, causing them to hit the ground instead. Then, he looked up to see Gray there with a sword of pure ice; he slashed through Natsu, making a cold feeling crawl up his torso. _Damn, my Dragon Slayer Magic's taking a rest from the last fight,_ Natsu thought, as he hit the ground. _But... it's the only chance I'VE GOT!_

"I'm not about to lose to you," Natsu growled, getting up. "I didn't come all this way to just lose to you. I've still got to fight Erza! I've still got to become S-class! And most of all... I've got to become Master!" His words made Makarov smile, realizing that the boy had the same guts as him. _The brat's come a long way, _he thought. _It's time to see his power._

"What can you possibly accomplish?" Gray asked. "You can't even do a decent Fire Magic spell without making a hole in the floor! And you're gonna become Master? What a joke! Tell you what, I'll become Guild Master for you." He began to laugh as Natsu got to his feet, panting heavily. The rookies were wondering when Gray would finish the fight while the S-class mages waited for Natsu to dish out his magic.

"Sorry, dude," Natsu said, looking him in the eye. "But that title belongs to me! **Fire Dragon's Roar!**" He released a massive torrent of flames towards Gray, whose eyes widened. Gajeel's mouth opened slightly as he looked at the pink-haired brat, never expecting him to be the Fire Dragon Slayer. Hayato and Cana were shocked as they watched Natsu use the form of Lost Magic, wondering how he had learned it while Makarov nodded in acknowledgement.

"**Ice-Make: Shield!**" Gray yelled, using his Ice-Make. He placed his hands on the ground, still fist on palm, and a large pentagonal shield of ice appeared before him. Natsu's flames collided against his ice, eventually getting cancelled out but not before melting Gray's defence. _Who would've thought he had that type of magic? _Gray wondered, looking at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. _It's the same type as that Gajeel guy._

"That's it, Natsu!" Lisanna exclaimed. "Keep doing that and you'll get him." However, taking one look at Natsu, Cana immediately knew that the boy had little Magic power left. _While he's stronger than I would have imagined, _Hayato thought, _there's no way he can beat Gray in his current state. _Laxus must have realized that too since he had begun to frown while Lucy and Elfman just cheered the pink-haired Dragon Slayer on.

"Give it up, Flamebrain," Gray chuckled. "Just take a look at yourself; you have almost no Magic power left. I haven't even begun to waste my Magic power so that means... there's _no _way you can beat me right now." _Shit, he's right, _Natsu thought. _I have so little energy left and I feel **so **hungry..._ His eyes widened as the solution came to him. Natsu quickly turned and walked over to the fireplace, where there was a fire going.

"You're right, Icecube," Natsu said, grinning. "But I'm going to get back my Magic power, now." Gray raised his eyebrow in confusion before watching in shock as Natsu sat down and began to eat the flames, as if it were a home-cooked meal. Gajeel started to laugh, which surprised Aria and Juvia; they hadn't heard him give a genuine laugh like that since they could remember.

"W-What a-are you doing?" Gray asked. "What the hell is this?! Isn't this against the rules?" He looked at Alzack, who merely shook his head before giving the answer.

"He's merely using the environment," Alzack replied. "That's actually a pretty good strategy. If you're out of Magic power, and you can regain it by eating fire, the best thing to do is eat it if there's one _right _next to you." He walked away, causing Gray to frown at Natsu. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer gave a burp as he patted his belly, looking fresh. The fire was completely gone as he finished his meal.

"Alright, Gray," Natsu said. "It's time to fight seriously. I'm not handicapped anymore so this is a fair match, now." His hands burst into flames before he charged towards the Ice-Make mage, who immediately activated his own magic.

"Not so fast, Natsu!" Gray exclaimed. "**Ice-Make: Floor.**" He slammed his hands into the floor, which instantly became encased in ice. Natsu's eyes widened before he sprang into the air, shooting towards Gray. The latter dodged back and watched as Natsu crashed into the ground, pulverizing it and creating a smokescreen. From it, two fireballs came out but Gray was ready, erecting his shield again. It blocked the twin attacks before Natsu himself came out of the smoke.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist,**" Natsu shouted. He smashed his flame-engulfed fist into the shield and destroyed it like plastic, the ice falling to the ground in a thousand pieces. Then, Natsu punched at Gray's face with his other fist, ready to blow him back. "You're done for!" Suddenly, as his hand came in contact with Gray's skin, it froze up and the ice travelled across his left arm, freezing it.

"You see, I also know Ice Magic," Gray explained. "**Ice-Make: Cold Excalibur.**" He created a giant sword of ice and swung it at Natsu, cutting the latter across the chest. Both Lucy and Elfman shouted his name worriedly and Lisanna almost choked... when Natsu dissipated away. Gray's eyes widened as he realized it had been a Thought Projection, watching as Natsu shot towards him from the still-dense smoke.

"**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack,**" Natsu said as he waved his arms. The force of the flames burned Gray and sent him flying away, rebounding off the wall. _I don't believe this, _Gray thought, holding his injured hand. _Is this really Natsu? He seems so different, so much... stronger. _Freed's mouth hung open while Bickslow slapped himself, making sure it wasn't a dream. Evergreen, who had also retained conscience, had been watching the fight and was surprised to see the dead-last giving Gray a challenge.

"So you've gotten quite a bit stronger," Gray said. "Didn't think you'd go into Dragon Slayer Magic, though. **Ice-Make: Ice Cannon.**" He created a cannon of ice and placed it on his shoulder, getting ready to take Natsu down. _That's his strongest spell, _Cana thought. _Not even Dragon Slayer Magic can save him. _Laxus folded his arms and watched Natsu, wondering what the pink-haired boy would do.

"Alright, let's do this!" Natsu roared, covering himself in flames. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn.**" He shot towards Gray, using his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic to accelerate even faster. Gray clenched his teeth before firing a massive cannonball of ice towards the incoming Natsu, sinking to one knee as he felt the sharp decrease in Magic power. _This had better work! _they both thought, hoping their respective spells worked.

Due to the head-on collision, a large shockwave of magic was produced and pushed Gray back. "I'm not done with you yet!" Natsu roared, coming out of the smoke. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" His right hand caught on fire and he cocked his fist back, ready to pulverize Gray. Due to his momentum, the pink-haired Dragon Slayer couldn't stop and decided to go with the flow.

"I'm not gonna lose to you!" Gray shouted. "**Ice Punch.**" Using his Ice Magic, Gray's right hand burst into ice and he also cocked his fist back, aiming to punch Natsu in the face. They both released two large roars before punching at each other's faces; Natsu's fist caught Gray square in jaw and drove him to the ground, knocking him out. The ice around Gray's hand shattered and two stretchers arrived to carry Gray away.

"Well, that's it," Alzack said. "The winner of the sixth round is Natsu Dragneel!" Natsu immediately jumped up in excitement before heading upstairs to see his friends, getting congratulated by them.

"That was amazing, Natsu!" Elfman complimented. "You're an official man now, dude!" He smiled at the Dragon Slayer, who nodded in excitement. _I did it! _he thought. _I'm going to the second trial, after all! I hope I can fight Erza there._

"Way to go, Natsu!" Lucy said. "You sure amazed everyone with your skills. I think everybody acknowledges you as a tough fighter, now. Wouldn't you say?"

"That's for sure," Natsu laughed. "It'll be a piece of cake, you know. I can handle anything!"

"Good match," Laxus commented, causing him to smile. "I think these Promotion Trials have been good for you, Natsu. I can tell that you're stronger than you were before taking them. In any case, I was surprised when you ate that fire to regain your strength."

"I knew I had no chance against him otherwise," Natsu said. "Plus, I was so hungry and _that _gave me the idea. Looks like it worked, huh?" He chuckled in excitement before turning back to see the next match. However, he didn't notice nearly everybody's eyes on him as they wondered how he had changed so much in the short time after the Academy. _Whatever training method Laxus used, _Hayato thought. _It sure worked brilliantly._

"Another Dragon Slayer, huh?" Gajeel said to himself, trembling. "This is going to be fun; I can't wait to fight you, Erza Scarlet... Natsu Dragneel." He chuckled to himself while Aria and Juvia backed away slightly, remembering the mass killings that occurred when he got excited. _This isn't good, _Aria thought. _Why did that Natsu guy have to be a Dragon Slayer? Just our luck._

"I don't know what happened," Bickslow said, "but that's not the Natsu we knew. It's almost like he's a different person!"

"Not with that loud voice, though," Evergreen smiled. "That might never change about Natsu. Hey, Freed, it's your turn." The panel read out the next matchup: _Freed Justine vs. Flare Corona. _Bickslow, Evergreen, and Hayato cheered Freed on as the green-haired mage left to the arena, a smile on his face after the watching the last battle.

"There's no way he's gonna catch me with his magic," Flare said as she smiled to herself before heading downstairs to the arena, where Alzack and Freed were waiting. _If that idiot managed to win against Gray, _Freed thought, determined. _I can't lose here! _On the other hand, Flare was already dreaming about how Ivan would scold Obra and Nullpudding while complimenting her competence.

* * *

"Let the seventh round begin," Alzack said, giving the signal. "Fight to your best!" Freed narrowed his eyes at Flare before drawing his sword, charging at Flare. Her hair shot towards him but Freed dodged to the side, cutting through her hair. _So that's his plan, _Flare thought. _How pathetic! _She made a hole in the ground with her hair, before it disappeared inside. Freed's eyes widened as he realized she was planning on getting him from underneath.

"That's not going to work," Freed said. "**Dark Ecriture: Wings.**" A pair of dark wings appeared on his back, with red outlines, and Freed took to the air. A second later, Flare's hair erupted from the ground, only to find that he was already in the air. Evergreen shouted in agreement with his move, telling him to go forward. Bickslow raised an eyebrow at her sudden change in attitude while Hayato wondered if it was because of Lucy supporting Natsu in his battle.

"You think that'll save you?" Flare asked, laughing. "**Crimson Hair.**" Her hair moved in a zig-zag pattern, causing Freed to move higher, when a thick tendril of hair grabbed his arm. He gasped in surprise, dropping his sword, as Flare laughed and slammed him into the ground. Freed's wings dissipated away and he coughed out blood, having taken damage from the blow.**  
**

"**Dark Ecriture: Suffering,**" Freed yelled out, pointing his finger at Flare. But she merely covered herself in hair, causing the runes to appear on that. Nothing happened and Flare merely came out of her defence, laughing evilly.

"It won't work," Flare said. "Did you really think you could get me with such a stupid spell? Hair can't feel pain!" She raised Freed into the air with her Hair Magic and made a few tendrils into fist, launching them at Freed. The green-haired mage cried out in pain as he felt the hits, coughing more blood, while Flare just chuckled ruthlessly. "As much fun as I'm having, it's time to finish this!" A major strand of her hair came out and sported the glowing symbol of Raven Tail, intending to mark Freed with it.

"What the hell?!" Natsu screamed, looking at Flare. "That's just sick; there's no point in disgracing him like this!" Many of the other rookies nodded while a lot of them looked away, not wanting to face the sight. _These mages are brutal and ruthless, _Laxus thought. _I should've expected nothing less from Father's guild. _Hayato's hands were shaking as he resisted the urge to help Freed with every fibre in his body.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's end this," Freed suddenly said, a smile on his face. "**Dark Ecriture: Pain.**" He directed the magic at Flare's face, who hadn't expected Freed to counterattack so fast. She tried to dodge the runes but the Letter Magic appeared on her cheek, causing her to back away in pain. She imagined becoming bald and failing the job assigned by Ivan.

"That's what I call a counter-attack," Freed chuckled. "**Dark Ecriture-**" He couldn't finish since waves of hair pushed him back, slamming him into the wall and binding him together. _What?! _he thought in alarm. _My magic didn't work?! It was a clear hit! _Flare laughed gleefully as she saw the stunned expression on Freed's face.

"The pain from your spell," Flare said, "is nothing compared to the pain I've felt before! It's made me lose my emotions, fool! **Hair Tornado!**" Her hair continued extending until it covered the whole length of the room. Then, she willed it to rise and start rotating at high speeds, spinning like an actual tornado. It came towards Freed, ready to eat him up. Evergreen and Bickslow gasped in surprise, wondering how Freed would get past that. _Come on, Freed, _Hayato thought in his head. _Use that big brain of yours!_

Suddenly, the tornado began to slow down and it became lighter; by the time it hit Freed, the green-haired mage was only pushed back a few feet. "What did you do?!" Flare asked, retracting her head. "It's like there's nothing on my head! What did you do to my lovely hair?!" Freed narrowed his eyes at her disorientated expression and decided to strike fast, before she went berserk.

"**Dark Ecriture: Paralysis,**" Freed yelled, pointing two fingers at Flare. The letters appeared on Flare's body, causing her to freeze up. _What just happened? _Natsu wondered. _Why didn't her attack work? _Max thought, wondering what on earth was going on. Flare's spell looked like it would knock Freed out and yet, the only thing that happened was that he was slightly pushe back!

"T-Tell me," Flare gasped out. "Why c-couldn't I mo-"

"It's simple really," Freed said. "I merely just reduced the centripetal force of the tornado by influencing two factors: the mass of your hair and the radius of the tornado. When my brain kicked in, I used my Dark Ecriture to make your hair lighter and increase the radius of the tornado. With these two factors regulated, your tornado became too weak to do anything other than push me back a few feet!"

At his explanation, the whole room was awestruck. _That kid, _Makarov thought. _Where did he learn such mechanics? And to implement magic with science... _Both Laxus and Cana were visibly impressed at Freed's intelligence, the physics going beyond Academy-level homework. The green-haired mage had used his knowledge of centripetal force and magic to set it into action, clearly showing both brains and brawns. Even Team Phantom Lord were impressed, Aria and Juvia wondering where the boy's knowledge stemmed from.

"Say what?" Natsu squinted. "What was that all about? He was talking about mass and energy or something..." Lucy just face-faulted while Laxus sighed; the pink-haired Dragon Slayer would clearly never become a genius. Cana and Hayato chuckled while Lisanna just lectured Natsu on how he should improve his intelligence, to which the boy just mumbled an ok. _They've all become strong adversaries at such an age, _Makarov thought, proud of his rookies.

"We have to continue with the preliminaries," Freed said, walking over to Flare. "This match is going to end now." He grabbed his sword from the ground and swung it at Flare, shocking everyone. Then, at the last second, he stopped and watched as the red-haired girl had looked away in fear. A smile appeared on his face before Freed said, "So... you _do _feel emotions." Her eyes widened as she recalled the words she had said to Freed after he subjected her to his Dark Ecriture: Pain. Then, Freed knocked Flare out with the hilt of his sword.

"It's clear who the winner is," Alzack said, walking over to Freed. "Freed Justine is going to the next round!" The green-haired mage smiled and bowed his head before heading to the spectator area, his teammates hugging him. Hayato clapped him on the back and complimented him while Freed seemed genuinely happy for the first time. _It's always those with the greatest talent, _Laxus thought, _that get the least appreciation._

* * *

After the long matches, Alzack had given them another break. Most of the teams decided not to move while Team 10 went to the bathroom and Lisanna went to visit Gray, who had been carried away after his loss to Natsu. "Hey, Gray," Lisanna said, causing the Ice-Make mage to smile at her. "I came to check up on you. Here's some healing ointment that'll help with your injuries." She offered it to him but he merely shook his head, putting his hand on hers.

"Thanks, Lisanna," Gray said. "But I'm more worried about you. I think this ointment's better for you to use."

"Me?" Lisanna asked. "What do you mean, Gray?"

"Both Max and me have already fought," Gray explained. "There's not a lot of people left; you, Bickslow, Elfman, Mirajane, Mest-san's teammate, and... that Dragon Slayer from Phantom Lord. Listen to me, Lisanna; you need to be smart. If you're up against that guy from Phantom Lord, you _need _to forfeit the second the match starts."

"Are you serious?" Lisanna asked, scratching her chin. "But I really want to fight in the second trial, you know. So many people are going to be there and I wa-"

"That's exactly it," Gray said. "Even if you somehow manage to pass these preliminaries, you'll be inevitably paired up one of these monsters in the second trial. I don't want to see you get destroyed in front of all those people. It's not that I don't have faith in your abilities; it's just that I'm afraid of theirs. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I guess," Lisanna said, looking away. "But what if I'm not paired with Gajeel? Then, there's no problem."

"Nope," Gray said, shaking his head. "It's the same with Mirajane; she's your own sister and you know her power better than me! Be smart and just walk away, okay? Now, get going, since the time's almost up." Lisanna nodded and gave Gray a sisterly hug before leaving the room, causing him to wonder who she would face. _Please let it not be any of those monsters, _Gray prayed.

* * *

"Alright," Alzack said when everybody had returned. "After the next three matches, we'll be done with the preliminaries. Without further ado, let's get started!" The panel flashed through the names before it chose two, making many people's eyes widen. _This should be an interesting match, _Makarov thought. Cana clenched her teeth while Max just narrowed his eyes. Both Laxus and Jura's mouths opened slightly before they thought, _This isn't going to end well. _Elfman clenched his fist, knowing there was nothing he could do.

"Can Mirajane Strauss and Lisanna Strauss come here?" Alzack said. "It's time to commence with the eighth round." He waited patiently as Mirajane took bold strides while Lisanna lagged behind, walking slowly. They eventually came in front of each other and Natsu was struck by how similar the sisters looked; Mirajane just had longer hair and a more defined face than Lisanna, due to being an year older.

"I never thought you and I would have to face each other," Mirajane said, before smiling. "I... don't know what to say, Lisanna."

"Me neither, Mira-nee," Lisanna said. "It's a little... too much to take in." She looked away while Mirajane had a disapproving look in her face, at Lisanna's mannerisms.

"They're related, right?" Natsu asked. "So how come they're acting like it's such a big deal?"

"Yeah, I don't get it," Lucy admitted. "What's the deal, sensei?"

"The Takeover family is a little... different," Laxus said. "I think it's best that Elfman tells you about his family." At the mention of his name, Elfman tore his eyes away from the match and nodded to them, his cheery mood having disappeared quite a lot.

"My family is one of the oldest in Fairy Tail," Elfman explained. "You might even call it a clan but there's not a lot of us. Ever since the First Master founded this guild, the Takeover family has resided in Fairy Tail and Magnolia. Me, Mira-nee, and Lisanna are all siblings under our father, Takeshi Strauss. Like his name, the man is very strict and is the King of the family."

"I still don't see what the fuss is about," Natsu said. "I mean, don't the three of you go to the same home and live together?"

"We would have," Elfman said, turning away. "But Father wants strong children as the heir to the throne. Lisanna didn't meet that requirement when she was younger; she was eventually sent to live with our mother and her family, having disappointed Father. Even I have it hard sometimes since he's _always _favouring Mira over me."

"I don't believe it," Lucy exclaimed. "I didn't know there would be a problem like this, to be from a royal family."

"Man, that's so stupid!" Natsu said, folding his arms. "Just because of that, the guy sent Lisanna away! No wonder I never saw her dad when she invited me to her house." Laxus raised an eyebrow before remembering that the two had been childhood friends while Elfman just looked away in shame, although he couldn't agree more with Natsu and his anger at Takeshi.

* * *

"Before we begin," Mirajane said, grinning meanly at Lisanna. "I'm going to tell you to quit right now, Lisanna. You _know _you're no match against me... hell, you shouldn't even be a mage, you know."

"W-What?" Lisanna asked, shocked. "W-What're y-you saying, sister?"

"I'm telling you the truth," Mirajane said. "You're too kind and gentle; you seek peace and harmony, not conflict. That's not what a mage should feel! It's better if you just remain a Normal mage; if you train hard, you might even become an Elder mage. In fact, you never even wanted to become a S-class mage and you wouldn't have participated if Gray and Max hadn't made you."

"No, that's not true!" Lisanna said. "I wasn't doing it for them! I wanted to see if I could... change."

"Is that so?" Mirajane asked. "Well, let me tell you something as your big sister; people can't change. A failure will always be a failure! People judge you by your standing in life; there are elite and there are outcasts. You can change your appearance, your personality, improve your magic, become smarter, and all the other things. But ultimately, we can't change the facts and the fact is that you aren't the one to carry the burden of being heir to the throne."

"B-But t-that's..." Lisanna's voice died down as her eyebrows trembled. _Is that really the truth? _she wondered. _Is that really... all there is to it? _Lisanna remembered her father's harsh words to her, one evening, when he banished her from the household. For a year after that incident, Lisanna had gone to her mother's house and lived with her family.

"You can't hide it from me," Mirajane continued, enjoying herself. "I'm a skilled Takeover user; I know about behaviours of organisms and their bodies. Right now, you're remembering your painful past, aren't you? You're wondering whether or not it has prepared you for this fight. You're trying to reason with yourself and control the growing panic inside you. Why is that, I wonder? Is it because you already know you're going to lose?" Lisanna's mouth had begun shaking and her eyes widened, sweat dripping down her face. Cana bit her lip and tried not to hurt Mirajane, controlling herself.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Natsu roared, causing everybody to look at him. "I've had it with your bullshit! Who gave you the permission to decide what she's thinking, is going to do, or should do?! Lisanna, why don't you say something? Or better yet, do something?! She's been bitching on about this crap and you're not doing anything to prove her wrong? You're just gonna take that and let her get away with it?"

_He's right, _Lisanna thought. _You're right, Natsu. I'm **not **going to let her get away with this._ "Thanks for that, Natsu," she said, smiling at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. "I wavered for a while there; it won't happen again." A grin broke out on Natsu's face and he gave her the thumbs up while Mirajane just frowned in irritation. She turned towards Lisanna and raised an eyebrow as she saw the girl's look of determination.

"So you're actually planning on fighting me?" Mirajane asked. "Are you out of your mind, Lisanna? You have to forfeit this instance!"

"I don't have to do anything!" Lisanna snapped, surprising them. "What I have to do... is to stop running away and fight. **Animal Soul: Cheetah!**" She activated her Takeover and was instantly transformed, now looking like a cheetah-human hybrid. Natsu nodded and folded his arms, ready to see the fight. However, Lucy was worried since she remembered the terrifying form Mirajane had assumed against Erza.

"You leave me no choice," Mirajane said. "I didn't want to do this but looks like you need to get this message beaten in your system. **Satan Soul.**" She initiated her own Takeover and her form glowed before Mirajane stepped forward, clad in her battle form. Elfman gritted his teeth as he saw the Satan Soul spell, remembering how Mirajane had beaten him using it.

"You don't look that scary," Lisanna growled. "Get ready!" She shot towards Mirajane with immense speed, much faster than a human being; Lisanna swung her claws at Mirajane, who blocked the strike with her transformed hand before punching at Lisanna. The latter managed to dodge it before clawing Mirajane with the other hand, which the silver-haired girl blocked again. She pushed Lisanna back and, in a display of physical strength, smashed her into the wall.

"Damn it!" Natsu growled as he saw Lisanna losing. "That Mirajane's got some monstrous power. I wonder if there's any animal that can take her on." Lucy started to sweat as she realized how advanced Mirajane's Satan Soul was, compared to Lisanna's Animal Soul.

"That's Mira for you," Elfman said. "Her Satan Soul enhances her physical strength, fighting skills, and magic to new heights. It's probably the strongest Takeover spell out there although I like to think my Beast Soul is at her level. Lisanna's Animal Soul isn't going to be enough for this fight." However, Lisanna eventually transformed into a lion, while retaining her head.

"I'm just getting started," Lisanna gasped out. "**Animal Soul: Sphinx.**" She shot towards Mirajane and decided to crash into her, using a lion's strength to push her back. To her surprise, Mirajane didn't budge an inch and she raised an eyebrow. Lisanna swiped at her face but Mirajane dodged back before kneeing her sister. She batted aside Lisanna's paw before grabbing her by the throat, slamming her onto the ground and cancelling her Animal Soul spell.

"Is that it?" Mirajane asked mockingly. "Your Takeover is pathetic! Guess I didn't need Satan Soul to beat you." She looked at Alzack meaningfully, who nodded and went to check on Lisanna. Then, her hand shot up and the girl painfully got to her feet. Alzack merely nodded and went back to stand beside Makarov, watching the battle continue.

"I'm not going to give up," Lisanna chocked out, finally standing up. "M-My friends wouldn't... and I won't either!" She remembered how Natsu never gave up in his battles and kept going, no matter what. _He didn't even have anybody to look at him, _Lisanna thought. _Yet he never stopped moving forward. Now... it's my turn! _She wiped the blood from her mouth and stared hardly at Mirajane, ready to continue the match.

"You're not going to give up?" Mirajane asked incredulously. "I'm starting to think that you've gone completely crazy! You're no match for me!" Lisanna didn't say a single word before her form changed to reveal a large purple bear. She lumbered towards Mirajane before hitting the ground, pulverizing it and causing Mirajane to fly into the air as Lisanna punched wildly in the smokescreen. _What a stupid thing to do, _Mirajane thought, shooting towards Lisanna. She punched at the bear and was surprised when it didn't deflate, only sagging slightly.

"You see..." Lisanna smiled weakly before her eyes widened. Mirajane immediately appeared in front of her, head-butting her and sending her into the wall. "**Animal Soul: Cat.**" She assumed a version of herself, which a cross between a cat and her normal self. Mirajane was surprised as she felt the intensity behind Lisanna's blows and knew she would get a mark if Lisanna managed to hit her. But that never happened since the Demon dodged all of Lisanna's blows, blocked several, before punching her in the gut with another well-placed fist.

"This is too much!" Lucy said. "The difference in strength is too big; it also makes it unfair." Freed and Bickslow nodded while Evergreen looked sympathetically at Lisanna, hoping she wouldn't get too injured. _I didn't think there was any kid at this level, _Laxus thought. _Even Erza would lose to Mirajane unless she used the Purgatory. _Jura clenched his fists as he saw Mirajane torturing her opponent instead of just ending it quickly although he understood the reason behind it.

_I'm proud of you, Lisanna, _Cana thought. _You used to be a quitter and gave up too easily. But now... I can see that you've really grown up. _She looked towards the pink-haired Dragon Slayer, who was probably the main reason why. She knew Lisanna could never defeat Mirajane but it made her happy to see that the S-class Promotion Trials had helped the girl grow further. Max looked at the scene quietly and was almost at tears as he saw how passionately Lisanna was fighting.

_All this time, _Lisanna thought, charging at Mirajane. _I've been watching you, Natsu. Now... it's your turn to watch me! _She pooled her remaining Magic power into her hand as she punched at Mirajane. The latter watched her carefully before moving underneath her strike and kicking at her legs, tripping her. Then, Mirajane turned around and slammed her palm into Lisanna's stomach, slamming her into the ground and causing her to cough up a great deal of blood.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Mirajane said, releasing her Satan Soul. "Your strikes were always ineffective. The last one, while stronger, was too clumsy and you left yourself full of openings." She turned around and walked away, waiting for Alzack to declare the end of the match. Then, Natsu let out a roar for Lisanna and a second later, she started to move up.

"Wow," Lucy said, not believing her eyes. "She's still getting up? It's like... she doesn't know when to quiet!" Natsu held the ointment Lisanna had given him earlier and nodded at the girl, _That's it! Never give up... show them! _Finally, a few seconds later, Lisanna had gotten to her feet and panted as she stared at Mirajane, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth.

"Why are you doing this?" Mirajane asked. "Why are you acting tough, Lisanna? You're just going to get yourself killed at this rate!" Despite the fact she envied Lisanna, Mirajane didn't want to be the person to kill her own sister! But the way she was carrying on, it didn't seem like much of a choice to Mirajane. "Just give up now or fall asleep!"

"I... c-can't do that," Lisanna said. "I-I've c-come this far... there's no way..." She panted tiredly as she walked forward, looking at Mirajane.

"You're barely standing!" Mirajane exclaimed. "You've been carrying a large burden, being born in the Takeover Family and being expected to live up to the expectations, and you're cursing yourself for being so weak. But just because you're showing yourself as bold and determined in this fight... doesn't change who you are!"

"You're wrong, Mira-nee," Lisanna gasped out, her vision blurring. "I-I c-can tell... that you're... the o-one that's suffering; c-carrying... the large burden... of b-being the heir..." She trailed off and Mirajane's eyes widened, seeing only red. The Demon roared out, having lost her cool, and used her Satan Soul; Mirajane dashed towards Lisanna with maddening speed and brought her fist back to crush Lisanna's brain. She heard Alzack declare the match over but was too caught in her fury to stop.

Then, there was a rise of Magic power before Mirajane was restrained; Jura had his hand on her shoulder while Cana had taken his left foot and arm. Alzack had a gun in his hand, which he pointed towards Mirajane. Laxus had also come down but was merely standing by, his arms folded and eyebrow raised. "Mira," Jura hissed, causing her to wince at the anger in his voice. "Were you seriously going to kill her? Your comrade? Your sister? You promised me that you wouldn't get all worked up about this family business."

"Why're you and the other S-class mages butting in?" Mirajane asked, gritting her teeth. "Is it because she's too weak? Can't defend herself? Then it's better for her-"

"That's enough," Jura said, causing her to stop talking. "Stop talking before you say anything that you'll regret!" He looked at her meaningfully, causing her to release her Satan Soul form. A look of warning had entered Cana's eyes when Mirajane was talking but it disappeared and she went to take care of Lisanna, who had collapsed to the floor. A second later, Team 7 and Elfman joined them in the arena and Natsu immediately headed over to where the girl lay.

"Lisanna!" Natsu called, looking at her. "Are you okay? Hey!" He looked worriedly at his childhood friend, who merely smiled weakly at him.

"T-Thanks, N-Natsu," Lisanna said, her eyes closing. _Do you think I changed, Natsu? _she thought. _Maybe... a little? _Following that, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell unconscious, being carried away by stretchers.

"Hey you, loser," Mirajane said, causing Natsu to glare at her. "I've got two pieces of advice for you; firstly, if you intend to call yourself a mage, stop that ridiculous cheering of yours. It's disgraceful. And secondly, realize that you can't change who you are: once a failure, always a failure." Natsu chuckled darkly to himself as he got up, looking at Mirajane.

"You call yourself a Demon, right?" Natsu asked, his fingers flaring up. "How about I show you... how pissed off a dragon can get?!" He charged at Mirajane, who smirked and prepared herself, but Elfman stepped in. He put up a hand and Natsu immediately skidded to a stop while Mirajane's smirk disappeared.

"I know what you're talking about, Natsu," Elfman said. "But the rules state that all fighting must be done officially; that is, to say, in a match. Who knows who it's going to be... maybe it'll be me who fights Mira. On the other hand, if it's you, that's fine too. Wouldn't that make for an exciting match? A natural genius against one of hard work?"

"Yeah, you're right," Natsu said, bending down to get some of Lisanna's blood. "But I want to properly challenge you, Mirajane; I vow to win! And I'm going to wipe that arrogant smirk off your face while you see mine!" He locked eyes with Mirajane, who merely scowled before leaving to the spectator area. _Don't worry, Lisanna, _Natsu thought. _I swear I'll make her pay for what she did to you!_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen: **_The Preliminaries End! A month of training to go..._

"Things aren't looking good for you, Bickslow," Freed said. "There's only three people you could get paired with. One's Elfman and I hear he's pretty strong. Another's that guy from Phantom Lord; I _really_ hope you don't go up against him. Finally, there's that weird dude at the corner of the room and the only thing he know about him is that he's from Mest-san's team."

"Yeah, this doesn't look good at all," Bickslow said. "It's probably the best if I end up with the mysterious guy, don't you think?"

"We can't really say, Bickslow," Hayato chuckled. "We haven't even seen him fight; he might be even more of a trouble than Gajeel or Elfman. In any case, the ninth match is about to start now." They turned to look at the panel, which was in the process of selecting names. There were only four people left so it didn't take long for the panel to pick two: _Elfman Strauss vs. Gajeel Redfox._

"YES!" Elfman yelled, pumping his fist. "It's finally my turn! And I couldn't ask for a better opponent." He gritted his teeth as he remembered how Gajeel had insulted Loke and him, later on. _It's time to show them my strength,_ Elfman thought. _Especially you, Mira._

"Good luck, Elfman," Jura said, giving him a thumbs up. "You can do it. Just keep calm and analyse his moves, okay?" Elfman nodded and smiled before jumping over the railing, heading towards the proctor. _I haven't seen Jura so passionate before, _Laxus thought. _These two kids must be really something for him to care so much. _Natsu and Lucy were ready to cheer for Elfman, wishing him luck.

"This is going to be the ninth battle," Alzack said. "The penultimate round. Let the match begin!" He walked over to Makarov and took a seat while Gajeel and Elfman faced off against each other. _There's no way Elfman can win, _Max thought. _That guy's a monster... not even Gray can beat him. _Cana was wondering how Jura's student would win, clearly seeing Gajeel as a very strong opponent.

"That guy can't win," Aria said. "Gajeel's too strong for him." He and Juvia had moved over to the other side of the spectator area and were now next to Natsu, who scoffed at the comment.

"People said I couldn't win," Natsu said. "Besides, you haven't even seen Elfman fight!"

"You're a Dragon Slayer!" Aria stated. "Plus, you were lucky you found fire around. There's no way Gajeel's going to run out of stamina, either. Your friend should just quit now, while he has the chance."

"That's impossible," Jura interrupted, causing them to look at him. "Elfman doesn't know when or how to quit. He's heard the word but doesn't think it's in the dictionary of being a man. There's nothing that's going to stop this fight from happening!" Aria just raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, turning his attention back to the battleground. The others followed him.

"**Beast Arm: Black Bull,**" Elfman said, his arm hardening and becoming pitch-black. He charged at Gajeel and swung his arm at the black-haired Dragon Slayer but he easily dodged to the side. Elfman's hand ended up in the ground, destroying it and causing people to raise eyebrows. Gajeel snorted before kicking at Elfman but the latter, despite his huge size, blocked the kick with his transformed arm. Then, Elfman threw him off and made Gajeel rebound off the ground.

"You're better than I thought," Gajeel smirked. "But it's time to show you my power. **Iron Dragon's Roar!**" He released a large amount of black Magic power from his mouth towards Elfman, creating a large explosion in the middle of the room. _What power! _Natsu thought in shock. _He's a Dragon Slayer, too? _Laxus was also shocked, realizing he had now come across three Dragon Slayers other than himself.

"That's not enough to take down a man!" Elfman roared, coming out of the smoke. "**Double Beast Arm: Iron Bull.**" By expending more Magic power, Elfman had transformed both of his arms using Takeover; they were now even harder and looked metallic. Gajeel licked his lips as Elfman said the name of his spell and decided to continue exploring the depths of Elfman's power.

"This is going to be fun," Gajeel said. "**Iron Dragon's Club.**" His hand was covered iron and became shaped like a club before it shot towards Elfman with blinding speed; the white-haired Takeover mage managed to dodge to the side. The, his eyes widened as smaller clubs erupted from his hand and shot towards Elfman. He punched at them with his hands, holding his ground for several seconds before Gajeel laughed. He detached his arm from the club and shot towards Elfman, kicking him in the gut and sending him flying back.

"What?!" Elfman grunted, standing up. "How did you-"

"It's really easy for me to separate my body from that," Gajeel said. "You should've been more careful! **Iron Dragon's Club.**" Unlike before, he created gigantic clubs and they shot towards Elfman with great speed, detaching from Gajeel's body. The silver-haired mage dodged to the side as the giant clubs destroyed much of the area. _He's too much! _Elfman thought. _I can barely just keep up with him! _He looked towards Jura, who closed his eyes before nodding.

"Alright!" Elfman roared, laughing. "Thanks, Jura-sensei! With this, there's no way I can lose!" Many people were confused what he was talking about while Mirajane sighed. _What a showoff, _she thought. _He doesn't even know how to use Full-Body Takeovers. _Jura, on the other hand, smiled at Elfman and the latter immediately knew he had permission to use his Full-Body Takeovers.

"What're you talking about?" Gajeel asked. "Have you finally gotten the idea to forfeit? Well, it's too late now; I'm just getting started!" He shot towards Elfman and his right hand changed into a large, jagged iron blade. _Yes, I want your blood, _Gajeel thought. _Give me your blood! _Then, Elfman's whole body glowed before a flash passed by, next to him. Gajeel turned and was immediately punched in the face, getting sent flying into the wall.

"**Beast Soul: Weretiger,**" Elfman growled, his whole body having changed. "I told you I couldn't lose with this." Mirajane's eyes widened since she hadn't expected Elfman to be able to use a Full-Body Takeover. _Looks like he's finally catching up, _she thought. _Although my Satan Soul would run over that. _Laxus realized why Jura had given him permission before; it was well-known that Full-Body Takeovers took their toll on the body and it needed to be used only as a trump card in battles. The second issue was the possibility of losing control, which would result in the beast losing control.

"I don't believe this!" Juvia exclaimed. "Gajeel-kun's actually been hurt!" Aria's eyes widened as he looked down to see a faint trickle of blood cascade down Gajeel's mouth. _That's it, Elfman, _Jura thought. _You can do this! _Elfman disappeared before Gajeel's eyes but the Iron Dragon Slayer jumped into the air on instinct, watching as Elfman's claws pierced through air. He growled before shooting towards the black-haired boy, striking with his claws.

"It's over for you," Elfman said, landing on the ground. "Didn't Jura-sensei tell you not to underestimate me?" He smiled to himself and released his Takeover, turning around. Then, his eyes widened as Gajeel's image flickered away. _I don't believe it! _Elfman thought. _When did he plant a Thought Projection?! _He suddenly realized Gajeel must have used it in the beginning of the match!

"**Iron Dragon's Roar,**" Gajeel yelled from above. He breathed out his Dragon's Roar and watched it head towards Elfman, the latter too stunned to react. "Time to die." He grinned and Elfman suddenly broke out of his reverie, realizing he was spacing out. _Shit, it's already started, _he thought as the blast almost caught him. _But I need to keep going. On_ my_ honour as a man! _He suddenly burst into sharp golden light, assuming a new avatar.

"**Beast Soul: Lizardman,**" Elfman said, coming out of the smoke. He covered his torso as Gajeel's attack washed over him, his scales protecting him. Lucy immediately remembered it as the Takeover Elfman had used against Nullpudding and Flare. _If it wasn't for her, _she thought. _He would have lost to Elfman. _Gajeel raised an eyebrow before backing away from the white-haired mage, wondering how he should approach the situation before grinning as a plan came to him.

_I'll just keep attacking this guy from long-range until he gets tired, _Gajeel thought. _Nobody bests me in terms of stamina! _"**Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs,**" Gajeel said, raising both hands. Two Magic circles appeared, his arms transforming into spearheads, before a large amount of spears shot out at Elfman, hitting him and breaking due to his scales. However, the Iron Dragon Slayer was relentless and the blades kept coming, all breaking due to Elfman's scales. The latter gritted his teeth and held on, sweating as the strain of maintaining his Full-Body Takeover began to rise.

"It's a battle of stamina," Laxus said. "Whoever holds out the longest. Will Elfman be unable to keep up his Takeover? Or will Gajeel run out of Magic power? In any case, things aren't looking good for Elfman since he's using a Full-Body Takeover. Isn't that right, Jura?" He looked at his friend and rival, who merely closed his eyes and thought back to the many jobs they had gone on and how Elfman's determination won him fights, despite always losing to Mirajane.

"Elfman will never give up," Jura stated, opening his eyes. "No matter how many spears are thrown at him! He's just that type of guy." The Wizard Saint smirked as he looked at Elfman. _You never gave up, did you? _he thought. _Even when Mira was more talented, you kept working hard. _He almost teared up as he realized that everybody was watching him today, even Mirajane. Natsu was also moved since he realized that Elfman shared the will to never give up with him while Lucy just smiled to herself.

_This isn't going to get me anywhere, _Elfman thought as his energy decreased sharply. _I shouldn't get in a stamina fight him; this man's said to never get tired. I must end this and find some other way to get him! Alright, Elfman, come on! _He took a deep breath before moving to the left, causing Gajeel's next string of spears to hit the ground instead. Elfman released his Beast Soul spell and backed away, looking at Gajeel.

"You don't look too good!" Elfman teased. "Are you sure you don't want to forfeit? That's what a man would do!" Gajeel was panting heavily as he had wasted a lot of his own Magic power as well. The silver-haired Takeover mage regularly trained his stamina, so he was coping better with his loss in energy while the black-haired boy fell to one knee while a small smirk appeared on his face.

"You're an idiot," Gajeel said. "Have you forgotten? I'm the Iron Dragon Slayer! If your nakama can eat flames to regain his power, what do you think I have to do?" Elfman's eyes widened as he realized what Gajeel was implying; ignoring his exhaustion, Gajeel walked over to the wall and began to eat the iron coating, surprising everyone. "Now... you'll see why I never run out of steam."

"H-He's lucky," Natsu said. "It takes me _forever _to find a fire to eat. And this guy's got iron everywhere!" Laxus merely shook his head and thought, _If you think fire's hard to find, what about lightning? _He turned to look at Jura, whose smile still lingered on his face; there was something Elfman still had up his sleeve. Mirajane had her arms folded and sighed, thinking about how Elfman's stupidity had cost him a great deal of energy. _How's he going to fight now? _she thought.

"Stop eating and face me!" Elfman roared, causing Gajeel to raise an eyebrow. "**Beast Arm: Iron Bull.**" To save his remaining Magic power, he used Partial Takeover and changed his right arm; it hardened and became like iron. Elfman charged at Gajeel and punched at him, which the black-haired Dragon Slayer dodged with the strength he'd regained. Elfman's fist ended up in the wall, getting him stuck. _I'm still very hungry, _Gajeel thought, licking his lips. _Didn't he say iron?_

"W-What t-the hell is he doing?" Freed asked, freaked out. "Is he seriously going to eat Elfman's arm?" He backed away slightly while Evergreen and Bickslow looked away, not wanting to look at the scene. Elfman yelled in pain as Gajeel began chewing on his arm, eating the iron. Jura frowned as Mirajane gritted her teeth, wondering about the mental situation of the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Get off me!" Elfman yelled, burying his head into the wall with his left hand. "This is definitely _not _what a human should do, much less a man." He released his Beast Arm spell and his arm returned to normal, although it was wounded around the area where Gajeel had started eating. The black-haired Dragon Slayer pulled his head out with some effort before finishing the iron, gulping it down.

"What were you saying earlier?" Gajeel asked, smirking. "That I should forfeit? Good advice and I think you should follow it." He began walking towards Elfman, whose eyes threatened to close in exhaustion. _I don't have a choice, _he thought to himself. _It's now or never; I'm **not **going to lose to you, Mira, Erza... Natsu. _Giving Jura an apologetic look, as the latter had absolutely forbidden him from using it, Elfman activated his Takeover.

"**Beast Soul,**" Elfman said, opening his eyes. "Time for you to experience my strongest spell!" Gajeel raised an eyebrow before Elfman released his remaining Magic power, gaining the vast energy of his Full-Body Takeover for a limited, and creating a large smokescreen. _I'm proud of you, Elfman, _Jura thought. _Don't hold back and you'll blow this poser away!_ Even Mirajane's eyes widened as she realized Elfman had just entered his battle Full-Body Takeover, which is in a whole other league than Beast Soul: Weretiger and Beast Soul: Lizardman.

When the smoke cleared, Elfman stepped out in his new form; he had grown much larger and lost his clothes, except for his pants. His shoulders and arms were covered in red fur while his torso remained a bare green. Elfman also had two horns on his head and his silver hair had grown, giving him a demonic look. "I don't have time to play around with you," Elfman said. "So I'll skip the Thought Projection!" Having said that, he dashed towards the real Gajeel with a burst of speed and moved past the Thought Projection before it could react._  
_

_I don't believe this, _Mirajane thought. _I can't follow Elfman with my eyes?! That's impossible! And his speed... _Her eyes widened while Jura just nodded his head, smiling at her reaction. After all the hard work Elfman had put into training his skills, it seemed that he had finally managed to surpass Mirajane. "**Iron Dragon's Roar,**" Gajeel yelled, shooting off a torrent of black Magic power. Elfman growled before spinning around, his body rotating at high speeds. The Dragon's Roar was caught in his tornado and, as he watched, Elfman punched him in the face.

Gajeel was sent flying towards the ceiling of the room, reeling from the punch. _He's not as fast as the other time, _Gajeel noticed, thinking of Beast Soul: Weretiger. _But he's stronger! _Then, his eyes widened as he realized Elfman had appeared behind him; Gajeel turned to attack him with Iron Dragon Slayer Magic but he wasn't moving fast enough. Elfman kicked him and sent him crashing to the floor, creating a crater. _Looks like the fight's over, _Laxus thought. _Did he win? I don't think so._

"Was that really Elfman?" Mirajane asked incredulously. "But when... how...?"

"That boy is a genius of hard work," Makarov said to himself, smiling. "There's not many like him in this world; both he and Natsu are ones of a kind. It's a shame he isn't going to win this round." He sighed while Alzack looked curiously towards him before turning his attention back to the crater, where the smoke was starting to clear.

Elfman reached the ground and released his Beast Soul, the form vanishing in an instant; the silver-haired mage panted in extreme exhaustion and his eyesight blurred as he fell to the ground. _At least I've done it, _Elfman thought happily. _Now... I'm going to the second trial as well! _The next turn of events made his insides go cold.

"Well, well!" Gajeel said, causing the rookies to gasp in surprise. The Elder mages were also surprised while the S-class mages raised an eyebrow, while Jura was not as calm. "Looks like you're completely used up now! I would have been in deep trouble if I hadn't used that little Academy technique."

"H-How're you still alive?" Elfman choked out. "W-What d-did... you do?"

"Didn't you say you'd skip the Thought Projection?" Gajeel smirked as Elfman's eyes widened. "Yes, at that time; I made it seem like my Thought Projection was in front of me when it was actually the other way around. My Thought Projection was _behind _me!"

"When did he do it?" Jura asked. "I was watching the whole match! He never did something like that!"

"Actually, he did," Laxus said, causing them to look at him. "Gajeel took advantage of everyone's attention on Elfman's transformation. Plus, when that happened, you were praying and had your eyes closed. Even if anybody saw it, it's obvious that you can't help any of the fighters. I wonder what's going to happen now..." He trailed off while Jura gripped the railing tightly, squashing it with his mighty strength.

"It would be so easy to kill you," Gajeel said, a psychotic grin on his face. "But I think I'll have some fun torturing you first! **Iron Dragon's Club.**" He transformed his hand into a massive metal club before extending it, hitting the drained Elfman. The silver-haired mage was sent into the wall before Gajeel retracted his hand slightly before smaller clubs emerged out of it, causing Elfman great pain and making him fall to the ground. _I've almost completely used up my Magic power, _Elfman thought.

"Man, this isn't good," Natsu said, backing away. "Elfman can't even get up and the Dragon Slayer guy's still got his strength left. Not to mention he can just refill his stamina by eating some iron!"

"That is _so _unfair," Lucy said. "They should restrict this thing. Why don't they do that, Laxus-sensei?"

"That's a good idea," Laxus said. "But you see, Lucy, we've never encountered an iron-eating Dragon Slayer. This is unheard of; in fact, before Natsu came along, I was probably the only Dragon Slayer in the world. Or at least, there might be others but they haven't stepped into the light." Having said that, he looked at Jura from the corner of his eye and noticed the well-built man grabbing the railing tightly, his teeth clenched and beads of perspiration dripping down his face.

"I'm starting to get bored," Gajeel yawned. "I'm just gonna kill you quickly! Wouldn't that be nice." _Oh shit, _Max thought. _I know what's coming now. _Then, as he had thought, Gajeel's arm transformed into a spearhead. Then, his Magic seal appeared before a series of spheres shot out at Elfman. "**Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs!**"

_MOVE! _Elfman screamed in his mind. His body finally decided to command and the Takeover mage managed to move to the side not before two spears lodged themselves in his left shoulder and right knee. Elfman howled in pain as he fell to the floor, holding his arm. "This is enough!" Mirajane said, stepping forward. "Nobody does that to my brother!" The others, especially Natsu, were shocked at how she cared about Elfman and yet, showed little care for Lisanna. Regardless, Jura had already decided to act since Gajeel had redirected the spears back at Elfman.

"**Iron Rock Wall,**" Jura yelled, causing many rocks to rise up and form a wall. Gajeel's spears embedded themselves in the defence while Jura checked up on Elfman's condition, behind the wall. _This is bad, _Jura thought. _The wound's not too deep but it's in the muscle. This needs to be treated fast! _His thoughts were interrupted since Gajeel had begun chuckling, causing Jura to stand up and look seriously at him.

"Why?" Gajeel asked, his laugh disappearing suddenly. "He failed. Why save him?"

"Because," Jura said, closing his eyes, "he's one of my precious students. I hold him very close to my heart." He nodded to the stretchers, who had arrived, and they immediately got to work. Three of them set down the stretcher before lifting Elfman's muscular body onto it, grimacing at the weight. _It's good that Jura stepped in, _Laxus thought. _Who knows what would've happened if he hadn't.__  
_

"H-He's p-precious to you?" Gajeel asked, his head starting to hurt. "W-What?" _That's something Gajeel can't understand, _Aria thought. _Not after his childhood. _He thought back to when they were all children in Phantom Lord and how Gajeel became who he was today. Juvia also had similar thoughts since her eyes were clouded and she remembered Gajeel's painful past in their guild, mainly due to their Guild Master Jose.

"The winner of this match," Alzack said, "is Gajeel Redfox." _I can't believe Elfman lost to him, _Natsu thought, glaring at Gajeel as he walked by Natsu. He leaped over the railing and ran behind the stretchers, wanting to see his new friend's condition. Lucy moved to cross the railing but Laxus held up a hand, shaking his head slowly. He knew how much Lucy cared for Elfman but he felt he should tell her the truth.

"There's nothing you can do for him," Laxus explained. "There are times when sympathetic words only make things worse." She nodded and looked down, her eyes shimmering. _That kid has the Will of Fairy, _the Lightning mage thought. _He reminds me of you, Jura. And also Natsu and Gildarts-sensei and... _His thoughts trailed off as he remembered his younger days and how he had lost his comrades at the Third Wizard World War.

"Hurry up," one of them said. "This boy needs attention." The others nodded and carried Elfman away while Natsu looked at his form with sad eyes. Then, he caught the conversation between Jura and the doctor with his hearing. They spoke in hurried tones while Makarov looked anxiously at them. _The boy tried his best, _the Guild Master thought. _And that power? There might be no one here with such ability. _He thought back to how Jura was in his younger days, proving to be a late bloomer.

"It's hard to tell you this," the doctor said, speaking slowly. "He's strained several muscles in his body by using his Takeovers. The main blows were dealt to his left shoulder and right hip, which seem to have hit his Magic power points."

"Where is this going?" Jura asked, gritting his teeth. "This isn't anything you can't fix, right?"

"Well, that's the problem," he answered. "It will take a long time but his body will be alright. And, while it will take longer, his left arm and shoulder should also recover. However, they will never be fully functional and because of his Magic power points... I'm afraid, Elfman will never be able to use his Full-Body Takeovers again and, if he's lucky, then he'll be able to use Partial Takeover on his right arm."

"W-What're you saying?" Jura asked, astounded. "Are you telling me that there's a chance he won't be able to use magic?"

"That's right," the man replied. "We'll try our best and this might not be definite. But..." He trailed off before bowing to Jura, taking his leave. Natsu clenched his teeth as he felt anger bubble in his stomach.

"Easy for you to say!" Natsu yelled out. "What about Elfman? He said that he'd show how failures could win! Men can't-" He stopped since Laxus appeared him in a flash, cupping his hands over Natsu's mouth.

"Calm down, Natsu," Laxus said. "Screaming at the doctor and his helpers won't help, you know." Natsu batted his hand aside before holding up bunched fists, slight tinges of fire coming out of his nostrils.

"But, Laxus-taicho, it isn't fair!" Natsu stated, facing Laxus. "All he ever wanted was to prove himself. To prove himself against Erza and Mirajane."

"Then, maybe," Laxus said, looking at his fellow Dragon Slayer, "that's what led to his downfall. For that goal, he sacrificed his body and spent up all of his Magic power. Instead, he could have lost the match and tried again at the next S-class Promotion Trials. Now... his goal might very well be unattainable. Plus, you were wrong about one thing, Natsu; it wasn't just Erza and Mirajane he was thinking of. It was also you!"

"M-Me?" Natsu asked, shocked. "Elfman was thinking about me too?" He couldn't believe someone as strong as Elfman recognized him as a rival to beat, making his sadness grow further.

"That's right," Laxus said, closing his eyes. "He sacrificed everything so he could meet _you _in combat, as well. Remember that! And be worthy of his sacrifice!" He put his hand on Natsu's pink hair and ruffled it while the latter's eyes were still widened, wondering if Elfman had also wanted to fight me. Laxus gave him several seconds and made his way over to Jura, who was standing still with his back to them.

_Elfman, _Mirajane thought, looking at him. _You didn't understand until the very end. Fortune never smiles on a mage who seeks victory by falling on his own sword. And making others fall on theirs. _While she had been amazed at the extent of his Beast Soul, she definitely didn't envy Elfman at the stamina it took to maintain it. It was better to have a less powerful version and yet, be able to reside in it for a longer amount of time. However, Mirajane was still respectful to her brother since he had tried his hardest to win.

"Come on, Jura," Laxus said, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. You did what every teacher should do; want his student not to hold back and try his best. I... would've done the same if I was in your position, you know." He waited for a few seconds before escorting Natsu and Jura to the spectator area, the latter still shocked to the core about the doctor's premature analysis.

* * *

"It's time for the tenth match," Alzack said. "After this, the preliminaries will be over! You may commence!" The final two contestants were Bickslow and Doranbolt, who had returned in another disguise. _I won't be able to keep up this Transformation Magic for a long time, _Doranbolt thought. _I'd better take him out in ten minutes. _While he had forfeited as Mest, he was back as Daisuke, the third member of their team. He had been watching the fights in the corner of the spectator area and had been recording the information, including Lahar's defeat.

"Let's do this," Bickslow said. "Babies: **Line**** Formation.**" The dolls rose into the air and stood on top of each other. Then, a beam of green light shot towards Doranbolt. The latter merely smirked before disappearing a flash and reappearing behind Bickslow, punching him in the face. Bickslow cried out but made an X with his arms, causing the dolls to appear in front of him and release another devastating blast of power. Again, Doranbolt used his Teleportation Magic to disappear and reappear elsewhere.

_How do I catch this guy? _Bickslow thought. _He's too fast for me to hit. Should I defend myself? _Then, an idea came to his brain before Bickslow commanded his dolls to assault Doranbolt again, who dodged back before disappearing in a flash. Immediately, Bickslow summoned the dolls back to him and as Doranbolt punched towards him, one of the dolls touched his hand. The resulting explosion created a hole in the ground, causing smoke to cover the battlefield.

"That was close," Doranbolt said, wiping his pants. "You nearly caught me with that little tactic. But you should check out mine." He pointed to Bickslow's feet where his dolls lay. _W-What's going on? _Bickslow thought, sweating. _I can't... control them. Is this his power? _Doranbolt smiled before disappearing in a burst of magic, catching Bickslow in the gut and sending him to the floor, knocked out.

"I just made them remember," Doranbolt explained, "a time when they weren't under your control." He stood with his hands in his pockets as Alzack announced him the winner, a smirk appearing on his face. _Things are going conveniently for you, Ivan-sama, _he thought. _Daisuke should probably disappear after this match. I have that job too. _This time, a well-built man appeared and took Bickslow to the infirmary ward while Alzack decided to call the rookies together to dismiss them.

* * *

"As of that match," Alzack said, addressing the winners. "You are now going on to the second trial. The big trial! Congratulations on making it this far." In front of him were Mirajane, Gajeel, Aria, Juvia, Natsu, Freed, Max, and Doranbolt. _This is it! _the pink-haired Dragon Slayer thought. _This is my chance to show everybody what I've got!_

"Laxus-sensei," Lucy said, causing Laxus to look at her. "I had a question for you. I wanted to ask you before but now is probably the best time." The Lightning mage immediately realized what she was talking about.

"About Erza?" Laxus asked, to which Lucy nodded. "I don't really know much about that, I'm afraid. But I wouldn't worry too much; he's safe for now." However, Laxus remembered his conversation with Ivan and how the latter planned to use Erza's hatred for his benefits. _It's up to you, Erza, _Laxus thought. _Only your will can handle the Purgatory._

"Now, I will begin the explanation for the second trial," Makarov said, causing Natsu to nod eagerly. "In the finals, each of you will put your battle strengths on display. You'll show the power and control you have achieved in your respective magics. The second trial will begin exactly one month from now, on Tuesday, at the S-class Promotion Stadium."

"One month?" Mirajane asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't we just do it next week or something?"

"This month is to be for preparation," Makarov explained. "It'll take more than three weeks before the Government officials, rich landlords, counsellors, and royals will be all here in Magnolia. This month will also give you an opportunity to train and hone your skills for this great event. By now, all of you probably know each other's type of magic so you need this month to develop some new tricks!"

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?" Aria asked, cockily. _This old man sure likes to talk a lot, _he thought.

"Indeed," Makarov said. "In a calm and orderly fashion, all of you will take a slip of paper from the box Cana is holding." Cana smiled teasingly at them before taking the orange box to Doranbolt, who took out a slip. After everyone had taken out a slip, they told Makarov their numbers. _I wonder what he's up to, _Freed thought. _What's this got to do with anything? _Then, his eyes widened as he realized what Makarov had in mind._  
_

"So we just drew lots?" Freed asked. "More one-on-one fights?"

"Yes but this might just be the one-on-one match of your life," Makarov said, silencing them. "Now, Nab, please show them the board." Nab nodded and held out the board, showing everybody who they would fight against. The matches were _Natsu Dragneel vs. Mirajane Strauss, Gajeel Redfox vs. Erza Scarlet, Aria vs. Max Alors, Daisuke vs. Juvia, _and Freed against the winner of that match.

"May I ask something?" Freed held up his finger, to which Makarov nodded. "If this is going to be a tournament, there's going to be a single winner. So does that mean only that person will become S-class?"

"Of course not," Makarov answered. "It just means that he or she will definitely become a S-class mage. Even if you don't win the tournament, you can still be deemed worthy of the S-class title, depending on how you demonstrate your skills and magic to us. Are there any more questions?"

"I have a question," Juvia said, causing Makarov to nod at her. "So that means there's a chance that everyone of us could become a S-class mage?"

"That's right," Makarov said. "But the inverse is also possible; none of you, except the winner, might become S-class. So that's why you're given a month to think on this and train yourselves accordingly. Now, if there are no further inquiries, then all of you are dismissed!" Natsu gulped as he thought about how strong Erza, Mirajane, and Gajeel were. _I have to beat them, _Natsu thought. _I'll ask Laxus-taicho for help later._

* * *

"The preliminaries are over," Doranbolt said to Ivan. "They're all moving onto the second trial. Is _he _going to follow the plan?" While he trusted Ivan's decisions, Doranbolt knew that any alliance between Ivan and Jose could break if they didn't agree on something.

"Don't worry about our friend," Ivan chuckled. "He'll play his part properly. But I don't know; how fun can killing an old man be? Especially when he's emotionally ruined. Look at how happily the birds chirp." He looked at the pigeons and sparrows in the sunlight, who were happily chirping away. _This place has been in peace for too long, _Ivan thought.

"What's the problem?" Doranbolt asked, fixing Ivan in his gaze. "You're not having second thoughts now, right? From now on, each of the Five Guilds will clash with one another in a long struggle. Raven Tail won't be escaping that; and wasn't it your intention to trigger that hostility... by using Erza as your bullet, Ivan-sama?"

"You guess very well," Ivan said, smiling and looking away. "It's actually a little... off-putting, you know. I wonder how you always find these things out."

"You give me too much credit, Ivan-sama," Doranbolt replied. "I didn't know your plan involving Lahar and the three from Raven Tail losing. For what purpose, I wonder."

"Was it really necessary to tell you, my right-hand man, about those four?" Ivan asked. "My silence should prove my trust. I have faith that you know how to act without that kind of knowledge. For that very reason, I'm leaving Erza in your capable hands. That Bind Nest Laxus put on her will only temporarily work; that girl has a burning desire for revenge in her heart. And that's why... we must abduct her now."

"It's a bit rare for you to act so hastily," Doranbolt remarked. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Perhaps, that's true," Ivan answered, stroking his goatee. "There _is _a little something bothering me."

"Let me give another educated guess," Doranbolt said, stepping forward. "Is it Natsu Dragneel?"

"You're quite sharp, aren't you, Doranbolt?" Ivan said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Erza is driven by revenge; she wants to kill her _former _friend Jellal for what he did to her childhood. She won't rest until she achieves that goal. And yet... even when she knew she had no chance against me, in the Forest of Death, Erza still came at me without any fear of death."

"So what does Natsu have to do with this?" Doranbolt asked. "It could simply be her not wavering, you know."

"But why die such a meaningless death?" Ivan mused, playing with his cape. "Why? When she could live on and face Jellal? Judging from _your _information, contact with the Dragon Slayer brat has changed Erza's mind and... heart. In fact, Natsu probably already has an influence over Erza and her actions. Therefore, she will have to be taken away from him and you're the man that will do that for me. Got it, Doranbolt?"_  
_

"Of course," Doranbolt said, walking away. "Leave it to me." Drops of sweat strolled down his face while his eyes wavered, wondering how dangerous Ivan was.

"Doranbolt," Ivan said, freezing him with his Magic power. "You know... if, by any chance, you are thinking about stopping me, I suggest you kill Erza now. There's no way you could stand a chance against me, not any more than Laxus has, when I'm at full Magic power like this. Do you understand?" Doranbolt turned his head and Ivan caught the look in his right eye, smiling to himself before he eased up on the Magic power.

"Of course," Doranbolt repeated. He left in a burst of Teleportation Magic, causing Ivan to raise an eyebrow. The birds had flown away sometime during their conversation. _That magic never ceases to amaze me, _Ivan thought. _I wonder what's going on in his head. _He chuckled to himself before disappearing in a whirlwind of shikigami.

* * *

"I guess being a genius can have its disadvantages," Doranbolt said, looking at Erza's comatose body. "We both failed to avoid Ivan's watchful eye. And that's most unfortunate for both of us." He sighed before taking a look behind him; using a combination of Memory Control and Teleportation Magic, Doranbolt had easily taken down the three S-class guards outside Erza's room.

_She's so young, _Doranbolt thought. _I can't believe Ivan would want to recruit her. Not to mention all the experiments he wants to try with magic. _He had seen the experiments that Ivan and Keith performed together, not to mention how they had magic-absorbing machines that hadn't even been developed in the Five Guilds. Doranbolt wondered if he should end her life so Ivan couldn't continue with his plans, reaching for his dagger. Then, his eyes widened as he realized his hand closed around empty space.

"That was smooth, Laxus-san," Doranbolt said, straightening. "You managed to mug me when I wasn't paying attention. No one's managed to do that yet; good job! Next time, I suggest that you station more of your S-class mages instead of just a couple. _Impressive, _Laxus thought as he looked at Doranbolt. _He made short work of the two S-class mages I positioned here.__  
_

"You're definitely not a Normal mage," Laxus said. "Especially not a rookie. You caught a whiff of me and immediately went to get your weapon. What do you want with Erza? I could haul you in for interrogation, you know." He had his left hand in his pocket while his right was tense, ready for action. His headphones were around his neck as Laxus listened closely for Doranbolt's next words.

"Just you? I wonder if you could," Doranbolt replied, turning to face Laxus. He smirked cockily while Laxus raised an eyebrow, not amused.

"You wanna take me on?" Laxus asked. "That's real funny. Now, answer my question: did Ivan send you here?" He cocked another eyebrow when Doranbolt merely chuckled.

"There's no way you could prove that," Doranbolt said. "Look, I know you want answers but you'd get them even if I wasn't here. So let's just skip this middle bit and let me go."

"You think you're really smart, don't you?" Laxus asked, his hands crackling with electricity. "I'll teach you what happens when you mess around with grown-ups."

"Come on," Doranbolt said, taking out a knife. "Don't be so arrogant, Laxus-san. Not when the cards are in my favour, you know." He positioned the knife a few inches away from Erza's throat, smiling at Laxus. The Lightning mage growled before lunging towards Doranbolt, kicking at his arm. The knife flew out of his hand before Laxus grabbed him by the neck and struck him against the floor, causing his image to dissipate and revealing that it was only a Thought Projection.

Suddenly, one of the fallen S-class mages shot to their feet and dashed towards the door. _Just as I thought, _Laxus narrowed his eyes. "**Lightning Eruption!**" He slammed his fist on the ground and a lightning bolt shot out from underneath the mage's feet. It pushed him several feet into the air before electrocuting him and causing him to fall on the floor. Then, the second S-class mage on the floor got to his feet and shot out of the window. Laxus came to the window to see Doranbolt give him a little wave before falling into the bushes, scampering off through the tiny park.

_I can't believe I let him escape, _Laxus thought. _He used Transformation Magic to make it seem as if he was one of the murdered mages. Then, he planted the Thought Projection as a decoy before using some type of magic to manipulate the other S-class mage. If Ivan's got someone like that working for him, I have to work harder. _He sighed tiredly before deciding to increase the security in the place and stay closely himself.

* * *

"Hello, lady," Natsu said, looking at the receptionist. "Can you tell which room belongs to Erza Scarlet?" He wanted to check on her condition and, if she was well enough, to inform her of the matches. _Bet she'll be surprised to see me, _Natsu thought to himself. _Erza probably didn't expect me to win, as well._ Then, he snapped out of his thoughts as the receptionist began talking.

"I'm sorry," she said, sheepishly. "But no visitors are aloud for that room. You'll just have to wait for a while."

"WHAT?!" Natsu yelled. "Come on, lady, I really have to see her."

"Sorry but those are the rules," she said. "It won't be as long as you think. I'm pretty sure why you want you to see her." The receptionist winked at Natsu, who suddenly understood what she was implying and blushed a little. _I'm pretty sure Erza doesn't think of me like that, _he thought. _Or does she? Whatever! I don't like her like that!_

"Natsu, keep it down," Laxus said, walking towards him. "This _is _a hospital, after all."

"Laxus-taicho, I was looking for you," Natsu said, running up to him. "I have a favour to ask of you. Can you-"

"I already know what you're going to say, Natsu," Laxus cut him off. "Don't worry; I've found a trainer for you. He'll oversee your training and help you greatly for the second trial."

"Hold on!" Natsu growled, narrowing his eyes. "Why can't you train me, taicho? What will you be doing?"

"I've got other things to do," Laxus said. "I don't have time to train you, Natsu. But I've found you an even better teacher than me; he may not be as strong as me but he can make you understand much more."

"Well," Natsu said, folding his arms. "Who is he?"

"It's me," a voice said. Natsu turned around and came face-to-face with Wakaba smoking a new cigar, causing his eyes and mouth to widen. _Looks like they already know each other, _Laxus smiled to himself. _This will be perfect!_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen:** _Meeting with Gildarts! Preparation for the Second Trial.__  
_

"I still think this whole thing's totally nuts!" Natsu yelled, pointing a finger at Wakaba. "How am I supposed to get stronger if my teacher's weaker than me?!" They had started to walk away from the hospital when Natsu said this. Wakaba came to a halt and raised an eyebrow, smoking his cigar.

"Who're you calling weak, kid?" Wakaba asked. "Is this because of your stupid Transformation Magic, last time? That caught me by surprise, not to mention it was a while ago. Are you seriously going to judge my skills based on that incident?"

"Well," Natsu said, narrowing his eyes. "It _did _cause you to land on your back, completely knocked out. So yeah, I'd say it's a pretty good-"

"Alright, I'll prove it to ya," Wakaba said, grinning. "Natsu, I want you to run away from me. Run as fast as you can and, if you can get away from me, I'll resign as your trainer. And since I know how much you prefer Laxus-kun, I think I can take over enough of his duties so he can teach you."

"Are you serious?!" Natsu exclaimed, lighting up. "This is going to be so easy! Alright, see ya, Wakaba-san." He turned around and dashed away while Wakaba retained his smile, shaking his head. _What a naive kid, _he thought. _I'm afraid, Natsu, that things won't be going as you think they'll go. _Having given the pink-haired boy a headstart, Wakaba took a deep breath before his body erupted into pink smoke.

* * *

Around ten minutes later, Natsu came to a stop on a small tower. "Man, that was a long run," he said to himself. "But it looks like I lost him!" He chuckled to himself and settled down on the tower, intended to catch his breath and rest for a few minutes. Then, his eyes widened as Wakaba's voice rang out behind him.

"Is that really the best you could do?" Wakaba asked. "We might as well stop right now. It'll save both you and me some time." He laughed out as Natsu growled, clenching his teeth.

"Oh, yeah?!" Natsu raised a fist, which caught on fire. "Well, I'm not done yet! **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" He smashed his hand, which was covered in flames, into the side of the tower. It was a small explosion but created enough smoke for him to disappear, slipping away. _Looks like he's not going to go down without giving it his all, _Wakaba thought, smiling.

* * *

By the end of the day, Natsu had reached a small bridge and was panting in exhaustion there. He had spent the last three hours running away from Wakaba, who always managed to catch him somehow. _Looks like he's stronger than I thought, _Natsu thought in his mind. "Had enough, kid?" Wakaba's voice came suddenly, causing Natsu to gasp in surprise before falling into the river. He swam to the shore and looked up to see Wakaba on the bridge.

"Man, you're a real pain!" Natsu yelled, standing up and facing him. "Why can't you just leave me alone and give up? I can keep going forever!"

"Oh, I doubt that," Wakaba snorted. "Have you had enough? If we're done, let's begin your training and-"

"Yeah, right!" Natsu said, clenching his teeth. "I'll get rid of you somehow! Laxus-taicho's the only one I want, training me. Either he trains me or nobody does!" He ignited his hands and jumped towards Wakaba, punching at him. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist.**" However, the moment his fist caught Wakaba, the latter turned into pink smoke and Natsu went crashing into the river on the other side of the bridge, shocked.

"Sorry, Natsu," Wakaba said. "But this game's over. Now, I know how determined you can get so why not have... lunch with me?" He smiled at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer, whose frown disappeared and a smile appeared on his face. _Maybe I'll get through to him, after all, _Wakaba thought.

* * *

"This is delicious!" Natsu exclaimed as he munched on a riceball. "I'd forgotten how tasty the meals here were! I'll have a bowl of ramen, old man." The chef merely smiled and nodded, walking into the kitchen. Their business had also fallen while Natsu was busy with the S-class Promotion Trials, missing their almost daily customer. Next to him, Wakaba ate his ramen noddles slowly.

"So I've been checking your skills out," Wakaba said, looking at Natsu. "As you know, there's four main aspects in which a mage has to excel in. Intelligence aside, in your case, the other three are physical strength, fighting knowledge, and magic." Natsu squinted at Wakaba's indirect insult at his intelligence but merely ate his riceball, glaring at Wakaba.

"What's your point, Wakaba-san?" Natsu asked. "I already learned this stuff at the Academy. Not to mention, I've worked a little bit on this with Laxus-taicho during our job in Hargeon Town."

"Yeah, I know," Wakaba said. "Laxus-kun told me about it. Your physical strength is good enough at this point and it's your fighting skills, along with magic, that we need to improve. Once we do that, you'll have a greater set of moves in combat and have mastered your Fire Dragon Slayer Magic a little more." _That's extremely chaotic magic, _Wakaba thought. _Mastering it is probably impossible. You could only manage to develop yourself a little more in that department._

"So what do I do about it?" Natsu asked. "I thought my magic was good enough! Plus, I don't think you're much of a fighter so how're you going to help me?" He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Wakaba until his bowl of ramen came, causing him to immediately start eating. Wakaba raised an eyebrow as he saw the pink-haired Dragon Slayer slurp up the noddles.

"You'd be surprised by my fighting," Wakaba said, smiling. "I could teach you a few things about that, kid. Even though it's not my primary way of fighting. As for magic, I've noticed that your magic takes a lot of stamina out of you. That's not exactly good on a battlefield; so we'll have to work on toning down the toll of your magic on your body. Get what I mean?"

"Not really," Natsu said. "I barely ever get tired!" He went back to eating his ramen, causing Wakaba to continue explaining.

"Let's take a look at your teammates," Wakaba said, deciding to ignore Natsu's retort. "Lucy's type of magic, Celestial Spirit Magic, doesn't take a lot of Magic power; she only needs to summon a Spirit and anchor it to the Human World while it does its fighting. Erza's magics, Requip and Sword Magic, take much more energy to use but she wears her Magic power, in the form of solid armour, in combat."

"What about my magic?" Natsu asked. "My Dragon Slayer Magic also makes my blows stronger, you know."

"That's true," Wakaba said. "But the flames you summon need to maintained or you'd lose them, unlike Erza. There's a difference between solid armour and fire, after all. Therefore, you're spent between maintaining your fire and fighting. Because of that, there are times when you lose your fire during battles. The only reason you've made it this long is because you have incredible amounts of Magic power, greater than Erza and Lucy's, and being the Fire Dragon Slayer, you can regain your strength by eating fire."

"Fire's not easy to find," Natsu mused, finishing his meal. "I was lucky against Gray otherwise I would have lost that fight. I guess you're right."

"Exactly!" Wakaba beamed. "There's no telling what'll happen if you run out of energy. That's why I'm going to teach you how to effectively control your Fire Dragon Slayer Magic or, to be precise, show you its applications. Now, if you're done, let's start our training!" Natsu nodded and wiped his mouth with a tissue before heading out of the shop, while Wakaba asked for the bill.

"Here it is," the chef said, giving him the bill. Wakaba took it and his eyes immediately widened at the price, gritting his teeth. _This is going to be a pain, _he thought, reaching for his wallet. _I'd better go on some jobs for this. You'd better learn something from this training, Natsu! _After losing almost all the cash he had in his wallet, Wakaba also headed out of the shop.

* * *

"What're we doing here?" Natsu asked, walking around the gym. "I thought we'd be training, not working out!" After lunch, Wakaba had taken him to the Fairy Tail Gym, not far from Guild Headquarters. Here, many mages and wizards came to improve their physical strength and there were classes for fighting, which Wakaba considered enlisting Natsu in.

"We _will _be training," Wakaba informed him. "However, you'll mostly be doing your training over here." He walked over to a power rack and beckoned Natsu over, who had a bewildered expression on his face. _I can't lift at this age, _he thought. _I won't become taller if I start working out! _He wondered if Wakaba was fooling him and intended to ditch him as soon as Natsu became occupied.

"What am I going to do here?" Natsu asked. "And how does this improve my training?" He stood up straight and folded his arms, looking intently at Wakaba.

"You're going to lift there," Wakaba said, lying down. "However, you won't just use your arm strength. In fact, I don't want you to use your arm strength at all, if you can help it. Just use the thrust provided by your magic to lift the weight up." He sighed at Natsu's confused look before deciding to give a demonstration. Wakaba breathed out some pink smoke, which took the shape of two hands. These hands moved to his elbows and pushed up, giving Wakaba all the force needed to lift up the barbell.

"That's pretty cool," Natsu said, shocked. "You want me to do that with my Dragon Slayer Magic?"

"That's right, kid," Wakaba said, setting the barbell down and getting up. "I didn't use much of my own strength there. My Smoke Magic did the work for me. Now, why don't you give it a shot?" He stood aside and let Natsu settle into the seat of the power rack. _So this what Max did, _the pink-haired Dragon Slayer thought. _He had his sand carry him away, a second before the hit landed. Now I get it!_

"Are you sure this'll work?" Natsu asked. "What happens if I don't manage to do it? How do you even do it?"

"Relax, kid," Wakaba said. "Just like you do with your hands, focus your Dragon Slayer Magic around your elbow. Then, make it jump up; this jerk in its action will cause it to head upwards and your hand will shoot up. It might not work very well the first time so, when that happens, just lower the barbell." Natsu nodded, although Wakaba wasn't sure how much he had actually understood, and started the exercise.

* * *

"This is pretty hard," Natsu said to himself, beads of sweat trickling down his face. He curled his fingers around the barbell and surrounded his elbow in fire, before changing its direction. His hands pushed upwards and the barbell was lifted a few centimeters before Natsu's magic disappeared, causing Natsu to immediately drop the barbell. It fell on the power rack with a loud noise as the pink-haired Dragon Slayer threw his hand back and panted.

"Excuse me," a man's voice said, causing Natsu to look up. "Is this your sensei?" A tall, ginger-haired man stood a foot away from him with a black cloak around his body. On his back was the knocked out Wakaba, causing Natsu to raise an eyebrow. _This guy managed to take down an Elder mage? _Natsu wondered in surprise. He guessed that Wakaba had probably gone to the hot springs to spy on the ladies and this guy caught him.

"Yeah, that's right," Natsu said, causing Gildarts to leave him on the floor. "By the way, who're you? I haven't seen ya before!" Gildarts smiled for a moment before examining Natsu, realizing immediately who he was with that shock of pink hair. _So it's the little kid, huh? _he thought. _He's grown up! And to think he's training his magic..._

"My name is Gildarts Clive," Gildarts answered. "I'm an S-class mage of Fairy Tail; not to boast but I'm also-"

"YOU'RE THE FOURTH GUILD MASTER!" Natsu exclaimed, excited. "Are you serious?! No wonder you're so strong! It took me a few moments to recognize your face from the Guild Master Faces."

"Is that so?" Gildarts asked, smiling. "Well, in any case, I should probably leave you. It looks like you're training pretty hard, aren't you? I'll see ya later!" He waved to Natsu and turned around, taking his leave. He had only taken a few steps before Natsu called out to him, causing him to turn around.

"Can you train me?" Natsu asked, making Gildarts raise an eyebrow. "With someone like the Fourth Master teaching me, I'll become extremely strong. Weren't you taught by Gramps himself?! Besides, you knocked out my trainer so you need to do that much, at least."

"Well, he was peeking on girls," Gildarts said, shaking his head. "Sorry, kid, I don't have time to teach you. I'm here on some important business and I'll leave soon, anyway. Just carry on with your training and Wakaba will eventually come around, okay?" He turned around and began to leave again but Natsu wasn't taking no for an answer; he dashed towards the door and held out his hands, causing Gildarts to stop.

"I ain't letting you go that easy," Natsu scoffed. "You're going to train me! That's all I know!"

"Are you challenging me, kid?" Gildarts asked, fixing Natsu in a stare. "Do you want me to crush you like a gnat? Let me go; you're delaying me."

"Let's see what you've got, old man," Natsu said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's take this outside." The two of them headed outside, where there was a large empty space for fighting. Natsu and Gildarts stood across from each other while the pink-haired boy stretched a little before getting ready. "Alright, come on!" He released two bursts of fire at Gildarts, who merely dodged them.

"Are you being serious?" Gildarts asked. "I should probably tell you that... I'm no good at holding back!" He charged at Natsu and punched at his face with blinding speed, the latter reacting barely in time. He moved to the side and avoided most of Gildarts' punch but got caught in the jaw by the side of the latter's fist, causing him to back away in pain. _Time to use my new move, _Natsu thought.

"**Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow,**" Natsu yelled, propelling his right fist forward with flames. "You're mine!" However, the flames gave out and Gildarts managed to dodge Natsu's fist, punching him in the face with his own attack. The Fire Dragon Slayer doubled back but wiped the trickle of blood from his face before coming at Gildarts again. Time and time again, Natsu was pushed back but he kept coming.

_This kid, _Gildarts thought, impressed. _He doesn't know when to quit! _His eyes widened a little as he saw his younger reflection in Natsu; the pink-haired Dragon Slayer punched at him but Gildarts caught his fist and threw him away, the latter rebounding off the ground and coming at him. "What's wrong?" he shouted. "I thought you wouldn't be holding back! **Fire Dragon's Roar.**" He released a blaze of flames at Gildarts, who smirked at the lad and decided to use his magic.

"**Crash,**" Gildarts muttered, holding out his hand. "You've become strong... Natsu!" His words didn't reach Natsu's ears but the Dragon Slayer saw the white light in Gildarts' hand and decided to roll out of the way. The flames collided against Gildarts' hand, creating a explosion; when the smoke cleared, Gildarts was revealed to be completely fine. Natsu's eyes widened and his mouth hung open, _S-So this is the power of the Yondaime?_

"I'm not about to give up!" Natsu yelled, standing up. "You may be stronger, faster, more durable, and better than me! But I never back out of a challenge!" He ran towards Gildarts but came to a halt as the ginger-haired mage raised a hand, smiling. Natsu raised an eyebrow and scratched his head, not understanding why Gildarts was asking him to stop. _What's he up to? _Natsu thought.

"I can see that, Natsu," Gildarts said, surprising Natsu with his knowledge of the latter's name. "Yeah, the Master talks about you a lot! After that last fight, I've decided to train you. You see, I was looking for a student with some guts..." He trailed off since Natsu began to jump in joy, running around in circles. _This kid's got some Magic power, _Gildarts thought. _In time, he could become even stronger than me!_

"Thanks a bunch, Gildarts-sensei!" Natsu exclaimed. "So... when do we start our training?! I have one month before the last part of the S-class Promotion Trials starts. You need to teach me some super cool moves before then, you know!"

"Relax, Natsu," Gildarts said, sighing. "I'm well-aware of the S-class Promotion Trials. And, for now, the only super cool move you're going to learn is the one Wakaba was teaching you. You could clearly see how ineffective it was against me, couldn't you?" Natsu nodded, waiting for Gildarts to continue. "So we'll be working on that before anything else. But, I think it's better we go grab a bite to eat, don't you think?" He smiled as Natsu beamed in joy.

* * *

"Man, these watermelons are delicious!" Natsu exclaimed, munching on his fifth slice. "So, Gildarts-sensei, tell me a little more about yourself. I haven't seen you in the village in... forever." Gildarts finished another slice, matching Natsu's rate, and decided to tell the pink-haired boy about himself.

"There's too much to tell you about," Gildarts laughed. "After the old man became Guild Master again, I decided to go on 10-year quests. These are the hardest types of jobs that a guild can have, even higher than S-class jobs. I've travelled around Fiore and went to many towns, where their guilds welcomed me for a little feast."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Natsu said. "Can I go with you on one? You could teach me a lot of things, you know!"

"That's true," Gildarts admitted. "But they're also very dangerous. You see, these jobs have been named 10-year for a reason: they've been open requests for 10 years. That just goes to show you how difficult they are, if nobody could do them in ten years. But I'll think about it, okay? First comes the Promotion Trials."

"That's right," Natsu said, patting his full stomach. "So, uh, when do we continue our training? Do you have anywhere else to go?"

"Not really," Gildarts replied, standing up. "We'll continue back to the gym and we'll improve your technique there. This might actually be fun for me, too!"

* * *

Natsu took off his white pants and yellow t-shirt, leaving him with his scarf and only in boxers. He settled into the seat and laid back, curling his fingers around the barbell. "Alright, let's do this!" he yelled, initiating his magic. Flames shot out of his elbows and propelled his arms forward, causing Natsu to lift the weight. Gildarts narrowed his eyes at Natsu's expression and watched as the fire moved wildly around Natsu's elbows before dying out, causing Natsu to drop the barbell abruptly. "That's pretty much where I'm at."

"You've got the spell down," Gildarts said, sitting next to Natsu. "The only problem is your magic. Our magic is deeply connected to our emotions and feelings; this means that, even if you keep your focus, this won't work if your feelings completely jumbled up. Get it?"

"I can't help it, though," Natsu said, sighing. "I'm always thinking about stuff and there's other things in my mind, with-"

"Relax," Gildarts merely said. "You're too tense, I think. Even if you're fighting a strong opponent in the Second Trial, you still need to keep your calm and emotions in check. However, that doesn't mean that you don't fight with them; you're a Dragon Slayer and that makes this concept even more important for you. Now, let me ask you, have you ever felt so strongly about something that you nearly lost your mind? That you were another person?"

"Not really," Natsu said before his eyes widened. "It happened to me twice, actually! There was this one time that I was extremely angry at this girl called Wendy since she injured Erza and I thought she died. I only remember seeing red and this weird upsurge of power came to me."

"I see," Gildarts said, smiling. "This Erza girl must be really precious to you, huh?"

"Um, yeah," Natsu blushed before shaking his head. "Well, we're rivals and I have to beat her! Everyone's always talking about her and... I wanna prove I'm stronger than her. Then, I'll have more attention and be one step closer to becoming Guild Master."

"That's true," Gildarts said, resisting the urge to laugh. "But it's always more important to protect someone you care about. You'll see that your feelings make you stronger than you could have ever imagined. This emotion doesn't even have a name but all I know is... it's much stronger than what anger and hate can give you."

"I get what you mean," Natsu said, nodding. "That girl said something similar to me before, you know. About how protecting people close to you made you real strong! I think I've understood it a little more. Then, in the Forest of Death, this happened a second time; we were fighting against this creepy guy in golden armour and a cape, who used weird paper doll magic. I got incredibly angry at the situation we were in and that Erza was being such a coward, happy with surrendering our Heaven scroll!"

"I see," Gildarts said, closing his eyes. "This power of yours is called the Flames of Emotion." _So that's why he wants me here, _the ginger-haired mage thought. _I knew it had something to do with Ivan. _He asked Natsu about the people he cared about and wanted to protect, wanting to teach the pink-haired boy a little more about his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic.

"I don't have a lot of people," Natsu admitted. "There's Macao-sensei, Laxus-taicho, Lucy... and Erza. The others I know are just friends, I guess, but I don't really have the urge to help them."

"That's good," Gildarts said. "You should always have a few people you want to defend. You see, Natsu, when you understand your feelings and learn to harness the Flames of Emotion, your Fire Dragon Slayer Magic will be on another level and you'll have more control over it."

"That sounds pretty cool!" Natsu exclaimed. "But, Gildarts-sensei, how do I use my feelings to fight? I still don't get it that much."

"You'll understand on your own, I guess," Gildarts sighed. "Let's see... have you ever felt passionate about something? Something you really want to strive for? You're that type of guy so this shouldn't be too hard for you to think of."

"Yeah, you're right," Natsu said, nodding. "In the preliminaries, this girl Mirajane completely beat up my friend Lisanna and even though she tried her best, Mirajane treated her like total trash. That makes me so angry that I just want to kill her; she's the person I'm paired up with in the second trial."

"Let's work on that," Gildarts suggested. "Why did Mirajane treat Lisanna like that? Was there a particular reason or is she like that?"

"Well, they're both from the Takeover Family," Natsu replied. "Lisanna wasn't strong enough so her dad kicked her out, which infuriates me too. Then, Mirajane treated her the same way since she wasn't as strong."

"It's quite complicated," Gildarts sighed. "The Takeover Family is the only family in Magnolia that is full of mages, allied to Fairy Tail. Mirajane is probably the heir to the throne... you'll find, Natsu, that there are many people who feel that others have got things too easy." Natsu raised an eyebrow in confusion but Gildarts knew it was best that Mirajane told him herself during their battle, deciding to end the topic there. "In any case, keep that purpose in mind and you'll win your match. Now, tell me about Erza?"

"What do you wanna know, sensei?" Natsu asked. "She's in my team and is the number one rookie from the Academy. Everyone's like dying to take autographs of her and the contestants all want to fight her." He frowned and folded his arms while Gildarts was reminded of his own team. _Looks like she's another Ivan, _Gildarts thought. _Nobody cared about me either... they were too busy with Master Makarov's brilliant son._

"But is she only a friend?" Gildarts asked. "Or a rival, in your case? Is she nothing more to you? Or have you never felt anything more around her?" He wanted to know the depth of Natsu's feelings for Erza since he felt there was something greater there. However, Natsu was oblivious to romance and while he had developed a crush on Erza, he didn't know anything about it.

"Well, I always want to prove myself to her," Natsu said. "When she's impressed with me, I feel really happy and stuff. Not to mention I really like her red hair and figure, but I'd never say it to her. But it doesn't matter since I have to beat her! That's the first step; then everyone will start looking up to me!" He had begun blushing but it was replaced by a determined look, with Natsu settling into his seat again. _I guess it's too early for him, _Gildarts thought.

"Listen to me, Natsu," Gildarts said, seriously. "I'm a forty-two-year old man and I've travelled to many places in this world. On top of that, I've become the Fourth Master of Fairy Tail. Trust me when I say that there's more to becoming Guild Master than just that!"

"What do you mean, Gildarts-sensei?" Natsu asked, perplexed. "I thought if you become really strong, you'd become Master. And when that happens, everyone in Magnolia would look up to me! They'd treat me like I'm somebody, somebody important."

"It's actually the other way around," Gildarts chuckled. "The one who has everyone's admiration and approval is the one that becomes Guild Master. It's much harder in your case, Natsu, but I have faith that you can do it. Never give up and keep forging forward; the day when you become very strong and do things for others, that's the day when you become Master."

"I don't really get it," Natsu admitted, grinning. "But I guess I can't give up, huh? But where do my feelings come in?"

"They've already come in," Gildarts said. "You've been fighting unknowingly with your emotions, this whole time. However, whenever they went out of control, you'd gain a lot of power for a while. But now, you have to learn how to use them while fighting; just hold on to what's important to you and never give it up. Try the exercise again!" Natsu nodded and laid back, holding the barbell.

_I have to believe in myself, _Natsu thought. _Lisanna, I'll get her for you! Erza, I'm coming! Just you wait... _"**Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow,**" the Dragon Slayer said, his arms shooting upwards. Unlike last time, the flames weren't as wild and they resembled a rocket's discharge; Natsu was able to completely lift the barbell for a few seconds before putting it down, smiling at Gildarts.

"Looks like I did it, sensei!" Natsu exclaimed, giving him a high-five. "You were right about this emotion stuff! And I don't even feel tired!" In his excitement, he did the technique several times and the only thing he had to focus on was the amount of power shooting out of his elbow. _My attacks are completely automatic, _Natsu thought. _I don't even need to do anything other than this!_

"That's what I was talking about," Gildarts laughed before noting the sunset. "Come on, let's leave the training for today. I know you can still go but it's better to continue from tomorrow onwards, okay?"

"No way!" Natsu groaned. "I'm not tired at all! Besides, I still need to practice my spell!" He would have continued talking but stopped when Gildarts pointed a finger close to his eyes, causing him to back away.

"You've pretty much learned that spell," Gildarts said. "Now, the next step is to use it in combat. I'll teach you a Fire Dragon Slayer Magic spell tomorrow and we'll work on your fighting tactics, okay? That'll help you know when and how you're supposed to use your magic and fighting skills. But for now, let's just go and take a hot bath; it'll refresh you after all that working out."

"I guess you're right, Gildarts-sensei," Natsu exclaimed. "I love hot baths! But wait, how're you going to teach me Dragon Slayer Magic?"

"Have you forgotten that little scroll?" Gildarts said, causing Natsu's eyes to widen. "That's right; don't you remember that I'm the one who got it from the Fire Dragon and secured it?" Natsu made a small 'O' with his mouth before nodding; the two of them walked off towards the hot springs, leaving Gildarts to tell Natsu about his exploits in places in Fiore.

* * *

_The kid's really something, _Gildarts thought as he watched Natsu sleep. _He reminds me so much of myself when I was his age. _He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard footsteps close to him, causing him to turn. "Sorry, Wakaba," Gildarts said as the Elder mage stood next to him. "It wasn't my intention to steal a student."

"Oh, it doesn't matter," Wakaba smiled. "The kid is too loud anyway. Master has his wizards looking for you everywhere; he's almost starting to think you couldn't be found. Then... you turn up in Magnolia, right in front of me. He'll be pleased."

"Have you told the geezer you've found me?" Gildarts asked, closing his eyes.

"No, I haven't," Wakaba answered. "Something tells me that you don't want him to know yet."

"That's right, I don't," Gildarts said. "It's better that Makarov-sensei doesn't know about my... appearance."

"Why not?" Wakaba asked. "You're after Ivan, aren't you?"

"No, I can't say I am," Gildarts replied. "The only reason I came here was to hand in my report at the office, regarding the latest 10-year job that I finished. I have no intention of getting involved in that other business."

"What're you saying, Gildarts-sama?" Wakaba asked. "You know better than anyone the power that Ivan possesses; he was one of the Aces, after all. Only the power of another Ace can stop him; your power, Gildarts-sama!" Having said that, he bowed to Gildarts and walked away, causing the ginger-haired mage to sigh and look at the full moon in the sky. _What're you doing right now, Ivan? _he wondered. _What's going on in that head of yours?_

* * *

"Have you had enough?" Ivan asked as his three subordinates writhed on the floor. "All three of you lost in the preliminaries?! I thought you were my highly-trained warriors!" The tall bearded man wasn't in the best mood after four of his men had failed their tasks; Obra, Nullpudding, and Flare lay on the ground while Ivan assaulted them with another round of shikigami.

"Please forgive us, Ivan-sama!" Flare screamed out. "It won't happen again, I promise!" Ivan came to a halt and settled into the chair, starting to look tired. _Is he even human? _Nullpudding wondered. _He's been doing this for a whole day now! He should be dead! _However, Ivan decided to leave them since they still had several parts to play. He hadn't punished Doranbolt since Ivan had expected the latter to fail and it might lessen the work for him slightly and benefit him in the long-term.

"Very well," Ivan said. "You three may go now. Don't ever fail me again or this will be worse!" He gave them an angry glare before nodding to Kurohebi, who also left with a bow. Obra, Nullpudding, and Flare limped out of the room, leaving Ivan in eerie silence. "You can come out now, Keith!" Out of the shadows of the room, a skeletal man in pitch-black robes with a high collar emerged.

"It seems as if things are going as planned," Keith said. "Mard Geer wishes to send you his greetings."

"Tell him I also said hi," Ivan snapped before calming down. "Tell me, Keith, do you have the bodies?"

"Indeed," Keith answered. "I have gotten my hands on them and done the proper tests. I can revive them whenever you want; however, my question is on how you plan to command them? I hope you're aware that they have their own wills as soon as they are reanimated."

"My supportive magic is pretty advanced," Ivan explained. "I have the spells needed to subdue them and I'm pretty sure that you can use your chemicals, can't you?" He laughed out before getting up from his seat and facing the window.

"Why, I could probably experiment around a little," Keith said. "You need these in a month, correct?"

"That's right," Ivan said. "On the day of the Second Trial is when I need them. But how am I going to get them there? I need to disguise them or something." He walked towards the dining table and poured himself a glass of wine before offering it to Keith. The Etherious shook his head and Ivan merely shrugged, taking a drink of it.

"It's quite simple," Keith said. "A few hours before the S-class Promotion Trials continue, I'll come here with the bodies and revive them. You can place them under restriction and I'll reduce their behaviour as much as possible. Then, get your subordinates to take the box to the roof of the house next to the stadium; when the fighting starts, just take the old man there and there won't be a single problem."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Ivan said. "The Second Trial starts at 10 o' clock so it's better if you come here at 8 o' clock. Is that okay with you?"

"Alright, that's fine," Keith replied. "I'll be taking my leave, then; see you in a month, then." The mysterious man turned and left through the door, turning into a cloud of particles. They took deep into the sky and disappeared away; _your time's coming, old man, _Ivan thought, smirking. _Soon, Fairy Tail will be destroyed and Magnolia in ruins._


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen:** _The month of learning.__  
_

"This year's trial is going to be very interesting," Jose chuckled. "How is the plan proceeding? Please send my greetings to your master." He smiled unpleasantly but Doranbolt wasn't affected in the slightest by it. Phantom Lord and Raven Tail shared the same interest of bringing about Fairy Tail's end, having decide to partner up and prepare their nasty surprise for Magnolia._  
_

"The plan is proceeding without problem," Doranbolt answered. "My master is also very pleased that you've already arrived in Magnolia, one month earlier. This scroll contains the finer details of our little surprise and what will happen on that day." He took out a green scroll and passed it to Jose, who nodded and took it in his hand. The Phantom Lord Master slipped it into his robes, patting them with a breath. "Indeed, this year's fighters are quite strong. I'm sure you've heard of the famous Erza Scarlet."

"The young girl who was the only one to survive the Tower of Heaven incident," Jose mused. "Many people have been talking about her and I've heard she's quite skilled. It will be fun to see who will win between my boy, Gajeel, and Erza Scarlet. However, I've also heard something from my spies about you in a certain hospital. Mind explaining?"

"Uh, well, you see," Doranbolt laughed sheepishly. "I was ordered to kill Erza Scarlet by Ivan-sama but... I failed the job. Laxus Dreyar confronted me and I had to make a stealthy retreat, instead. They've discovered that I'm an agent of Raven Tail."

"Are you kidding me, boy?" Jose asked, frowning. "If you've been caught and they see that you're having a meeting with me, there's going to be a big problem. Our plan to destroy Fairy Tail and its town will be called off and I'm going to have some trouble explaining this. Do you understand what I'm saying? This is a plan that Raven Tail came up with, so if you guys fail, then there's no point in continuing it." It was then that both Jose and Doranbolt detected Alzack, hiding behind the corner.

_Mest's in league with Phantom Lord?! _Alzack wondered, dazed. _I don't believe it! They even have some strategy to destroy us during the second trial! _"Don't worry, Jose-sama," Doranbolt said, waving his hand. "It's best you tell your team about this plan, as soon as possible. We'll make the first move and, when we've given the signal, your part of the plan starts."

"I'll tell them one of these days," Jose said, his smile coming back. "It looks like there's nothing to worry about, huh? Oh, and as a gesture of faith in our allegance, I'll even take care of our little spy so you don't have to waste time." Alzack's eyes widened and he immediately dashed away, taking to the roofs of the tall apartments. He was running as fast as he could when Jose materialized in front of him. _I need to send for some reinforcements, _Alzack thought, going for his magic. Then, a second later, he fell to the floor as Jose threw his dagger with extreme accuracy, stabbing Alzack in the throat.

* * *

"I have called you here for very important news," Makarov informed his staff. "As some of you may already know, Alzack Connell's body has been found early this morning. He was killed due to being stabbed in the throat by a dagger. Alzack was on a job to trail a Raven Tail spy, masquerading as Mest of Fairy Tail, who we believe is working together with Ivan."

"Master!" Jet protested, standing forward. "I think we should cancel the S-class Promotion Trials and go after Ivan! He's in Magnolia and is up to something, that is probably not going to be good for Fairy Tail."

"I'm afraid we cannot do that," Makarov said. "Ivan revealed himself to Cana and sent a warning not to cancel the Promotion Trials. You see, he's very strong and probably strong enough to destroy a guild on his own. Any of the 5 Guilds would embrace the oppurtunity to be allied with him, as it would only benefit them."

"That can't be!" Nab exclaimed. "Why would a guild from the 5 Guilds want to betray us? We're all allied and don't want to have any more war! And this would directly cause war!"

"Well, the alliance is only as good as a verbal agreement," Laxus explained. "We found that out during the Third Mage World War."

"In any case," Makarov said. "Until we can find out more, this is just idle speculation. We've dispatched some of our best S-class mages to different towns and guilds to collect information on Ivan's motives. Besides, I have complete and utter trust in all of you; if the time should ever come, we will combine our strengths and strike together." He beamed to his mages, causing Laxus to smile and the others to nod confidently at the Guild Master.

* * *

Lucy laid on her bed, thinking about things. After the preliminaries, she had decided to just relax and spend some time thinking about her friends; _even Natsu passed his round and is going to be fighting, _Lucy thought. _But it's unlikely that he'll win against Mirajane. She's stronger than Erza! _Then, having thought of Erza, Lucy's mind went to her red-haired idol. The horrific battle with Ivan still lingered on her mind and the spiked black armour Erza had used when she was consumed by rage. Lucy eventually decided to go towards the hospital to visit Erza.

"Well, hello Lucy," Evergreen said when Lucy entered the flower shop. "I didn't expect to see you where. Are you intending to buy flowers for yourself?" Lucy had been going towards the hospital when she decided to buy some flowers for Erza. However, Evergreen had the same idea since she had also been looking at the colourful petal when Lucy walked in the shop._  
_

"That's none of your business," Lucy merely said. "I can buy them for whatever reason I want." _If she found out, I'd have a problem, _the blonde thought. _Better make this fast and go to the hospital. _She walked over to the roses and knelt down to smell them before deciding to look for another. Then, Evergreen appeared in front of her with a smiling face.

"You know, I recently watched a movie," Evergreen said, as Lucy knelt to smell some daisies. "They almost have the same story of the girl taking flowers to the hospital for the guy." Lucy's face immediately became redder as she realized what Evergreen was implying while she just laughed triumphantly. "You're going to the hospital to visit Erza-san, aren't you?"

"Where'd you get that idea?" Lucy asked, her red face giving her away. "I'd better get out of here quickly." She reached down and took a daisy while Evergreen just took a rose, looking gleeful.

"You're trying to impress Erza-san, aren't you?" Evergreen asked. "Well, there's no way I'm going to be beat by you. If you're going to meet Erza-san, I'm also going to meet Erza-san!" She and Lucy exchanged glares before racing each other to the cash counter, heading towards the hospital immediately afterwards.

"So, you're here to see Erza Scarlet," the nurse said, as she guided Lucy and Evergreen towards the red-haired mage's room. "Please keep in mind that she's still very weak and needs her rest. You'll have to keep your visit short; you have five minutes to speak to her." They reached the room and the nurse opened the door, leading the three of them in. Then, her eyes widened as she realized that the bed was completely empty. "Erza-san! Where are you?!"

"How did she disappear?!" Lucy asked, alarmed. "It's only been a week since she was admitted here. There's no way that Erza could be up and running already, right?" Then, she remembered Erza's endurance and decided that anything was possible with him. _I should have known she'd go for training, _Lucy thought. Evergreen quickly went to the wardrobe and opened it, shocked to see that Erza's clothes were gone.

"She definitely escaped!" Evergreen exclaimed. "There's no other explanation! Don't tell me he's been kidnapped!" She and the nurse immediately rushed out of the room, running to fetch the doctor while Lucy stood there. _He said that Erza would come to him for power, _she thought. _Could this be it? _She walked out of the room, wondering where Erza had disappeared to.

* * *

_Why is this so much harder now? _Laxus thought as he pulled himself up. After the run-in with Ivan and his recent meeting with Makarov, Laxus had decided to restart his training exercises; one of those had been climbing a cliff using his legs and only one hand. _Must be getting out of shape; time's almost up! _He heaved himself up a little more before straining to continue, feeling his arm muscles ache. The aura of Lightning Magic around him was slowly dissipating, lowering Laxus' strength even more.

"I'm almost there," he said to himself as he got up. His foot landed on a rock, crumbling it to pieces and causing Laxus to stumble. "Damn it!" If the Lightning mage lost his grip on the edge, he'd fall into the valley below and kill himself. Laxus gritted his teeth before yelling out, "**Lightning**** Dragon's Claw.**" Electrical discharges shot out of Laxus' feet, pushing him up to the next rock.

"What's up?" a strong female voice said, causing Laxus to look up. He pulled himself over the edge and landed on the platform of the cliff, allowing himself to look at the new person. She was quite tall for a girl and built strongly, clad in shiny steel armour. Her red hair blew in the wind and her eyebrows had a playful look while her eyes were focused. To Laxus, she definitely didn't seem like a person that had just woken up from a coma.

"So," Laxus said, smiling. "Looks like you finally showed up, huh, Erza? It's time to start your training." He brought himself to jump over the last rock and land on the base of the cliff, standing up to stare down at the calm girl. _Let's see if you're up for this, _Laxus thought.

* * *

"What did you say, Master?" Juvia asked, confused. "I thought the point of these S-class Promotion Trials was to become S-class mages. Now, you're saying that it's not the reason?"

"That's right, Juvia," Jose said, sitting down. "While it is a promotion, it is also a brilliant time to crush Fairy Tail. They will have lowered their defences due to the foreigners coming here; that's the moment when we strike."

"But why?" Aria asked. "Why are we turning on Fairy Tail? Didn't we sign a treaty with them and ally ourselves?"

"We did," Jose said, sighing. "And that treaty is one of the problems. When we signed the treaty with Fairy Tail, one of the ancient jobs went to Fairy Tail instead of Phantom Lord. It was originally supposed to be our matter but Fairy Tail got involved also due to a feudal lord going to Magnolia with the request. Over time, our budget was cut and _Fairy Tail _became the strongest guild in Fiore." He looked pointedly at Gajeel since the black-haired Dragon Slayer's destructive power would be used in the invasion.

"I still don't get it," Aria said, squinting. "Can you explain this a little more?"

"You don't have to understand all of it," Jose said. "Just understand that Fairy Tail's existence is endangering Phantom Lord's. I won't have any of that; thus, I've decided to join hands with Raven Tail for this job. With our combined might, we'll crush Magnolia and this pathetic guild."

"But that means that we'll be going to war," Juvia protested. "We've already lost so much to achieve this treaty; we're simply going to lose more lives if we do this. Gajeel, Aria, what do you think about this?" Gajeel had his eyes closed as he leaned against the wall while Aria had a blank expression on his face.

"I understand how you feel, Juvia," Jose said. "I don't want this either but it's necessary. I will tell you about the plan now, okay? It's very simple and, with it, there's no way that Fairy Tail can do anything. They're not even expecting this upcoming assault during the S-class Promotion Trials, so we're already several steps ahead." He started to laugh uncontrollably while Gajeel just cocked a grin; Aria still had a blank face while Juvia looked uncertain.

* * *

"So you're finally up, huh?" Freed asked as Natsu's eyes opened. After their hard training, the pink-haired Dragon Slayer had overdone it and ended up in the hospital. He had bruised muscles, Magic power exhaustion, and a few burns on his body. Gildarts decided to let the boy rest, admitting him in the hospital a few days ago. "The doctor told me that you've been out for three days straight. It seems that you've-"

"I'll hear that from the doctor," Natsu interrupted, narrowing his eyes at Freed. "Say, what're you doing here anyways? Where'd you-WHAT DID YOU SAY?! Three days?! Freed, when's the second trial?!" Freed raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in Natsu's behaviour and frowned as the Fire Dragon Slayer stood on his bed, causing it to creak.

"It's tomorrow," Freed said, causing Natsu to halt. "What's wrong?" Natsu's eyes widened even further and he gave a small roar before hoping off his bed, looking for his clothes.

"I don't have time to lie in bed!" Natsu exclaimed, looking under his bed. "I should be out there, finishing my training! Where's the old man?! He's supposed to be here!" He continued ranting while Freed raised an eyebrow, wondering what Natsu was talking about. _This guy needs to get his thoughts organized, _the green-haired mage thought. _He's such a pain in the ass!_

"Natsu, shut up!" Freed yelled, causing Natsu to freeze. "Calm down, alright?! You shouldn't start panicking like this, the very day before the final trial." He paused since Natsu had completely frozen, holding his stomach. "Hey, what's wrong now? Did you realize something?"

"Yeah, I kinda did," Natsu said, turning around. "I'm starving!" His stomach growled loudly and Freed blinked for a moment, before bursting into laughter. The green-haired mage's laugh reduced to a chuckle after a dozen seconds, bending down to pick up his food basket. He had brought apples, bananas, grapes, a pineapple, and a pear. Freed took an apple and offered it to Natsu, who smiled and took it. "Did you bring these for me?"

"Not exactly," Freed answered. "I was going to bring them for Bickslow; however, the doctors have forbidden him from eating anything. You see, he had stomach indigestion where the hydrochloric acid-"

"Alright, I get it," Natsu said quickly, cutting Freed off. "Guess he had a little bit too much. Hey, I have an idea; how about we eat in front of him? It'll probably annoy him like hell." He chuckled evilly while Freed just laughed, nodding. The two of them left Natsu's room and headed down the hall towards the stairs, since Bickslow was in the upper floor.

* * *

"Master," Cana said, causing Makarov to look curiously at her. "I wanted to talk to you about something. Are you free now?"

"I'm taking a quick break for ten minutes," Makarov replied. "Tomorrow is the second trial and it might be a long time before we can have a proper talk. What is it, Cana?" He turned to face her, smiling.

"I'm sorry, Master," Cana said. "I want to apologize since I-"

"Think I didn't try my best against Ivan?" Makarov finished. "Are you feeling guilty you returned alive from the Forest of Death? There's no need for that; after all, you no longer have any connection to him, do you?"

"But I should have tried harder!" Cana burst out. "I-I j-just... listened to him and froze up! I'm a S-class mage; I should have used all my magic to take him down."

"That would've been very hard to do," Makarov said. "Despite being weakened, Ivan was still dangerous and has that foul magic to help him. He would have escaped from the situation, sooner or later. At full strength, there's probably none except me who could probably match him and my health is nowhere as good as it used to be." He looked away but Cana could read his thoughts.

"I wish he was here," Cana said. "If only Gildarts was here... he'd save everyone once again. Wasn't he our famous Fourth Master?"

"Indeed he was," Makarov replied. "However, you shouldn't say such things, Cana. He risked his life and lost an arm along with a couple of organs to save Magnolia from the Fire Dragon. Maybe it was my fault for giving him the position at such an young age; Gildarts ended up doing more for the guild and the town than I have, maybe during my whole term."

"Don't say that, Master!" Cana exclaimed. "You've also done a lot for Fairy Tail and Magnolia. You're the one that trained Gildarts, after all."

"Maybe one of the good things I did," Makarov lamented. "At the same time, I trained Ivan and today, he's one of the most renowned villains in the history of the world. My own son! But this is a story from fourteen years ago; Gildarts doesn't come to Fairy Tail, aside from slipping in his reports when I'm not in my office, and he's not going to be the Fourth Master again. There's nothing we can do to change this fact."

"Yes, sir," Cana said, looking down. "I'll be taking my leave, then." She walked towards the door, one question in her heart when Makarov's voice froze her. Her hand closed around the knob of the door.

"I know what you're thinking, Cana," Makarov said. "Trust me; someday you'll find Gildarts and you'll tell him that he's your father. I do not know when that day will come so you need to keep your eyes and ears open. And one more thing... don't blame yourself, Cana. He's the type of guy that would have risked his life a thousand times to save you from Ivan. _Anyone_, for that matter."

"Right," Cana said. She opened the door and left the room, leaving Makarov in silence. _I miss our talks, Gildarts, _Makarov thought, looking at the portrait of the ginger-haired man. _If only you had been Master, things would have been different. I don't have many days left, I think... so please return. _He closed his eyes and slumped in his chair; meanwhile, on the streets of Magnolia, the cloaked Gildarts came to a halt before sneezing. He turned around and stared at the Guild Master Monument, his gaze leering on Makarov's and his faces before continuing on his path.

* * *

As Lucy left the room, Gajeel sneered before entering himself. Elfman was sleeping on his bed peacefully and his eyebrows were furrowed together; the black-haired Dragon Slayer moved towards him. _So he's precious to you, huh? _Gajeel thought, recalling Jura's words. _Why? He failed! _Gajeel clenched his teeth together and resisted his urge to destroy the hospital, using his Iron Dragon's Sword. In his frustration, Gajeel didn't hear the door of the room being opened and stabbed it straight at Elfman.

"What the hell is this?!" Natsu shouted, launching himself at Gajeel. Suddenly, the Iron Dragon Slayer froze and was unable to move a single muscle; Natsu's fist caught him clean in the face, bruising him slightly. He backed away to stand next to Freed and the duo looked on as Gajeel wiped his cheek before grinning at them. _He's the Iron Dragon Slayer, _Natsu thought. _His face is incredibly hard._

"Hello there," Gajeel greeted. "The Fire Dragon Slayer and his little friend. To what do I owe this pleasure; what're you two losers doing here?"

"We can ask you the same thing," Freed said. "What were you trying to do? Didn't you already beat Elfman in the competition? What's the point of coming here and trying to finish him off? Or do you have something personal against him?"

"Oh, I have nothing personal against him," Gajeel said. "It's just... I didn't get to complete that battle against him. His meddling teacher interfered before I could kill him; now, I'm here to finish the job." He turned around towards Elfman before stopping as Natsu stepped forward, clashing his fists.

"If you even touch him," Natsu started, his eyes burning. "We'll destroy you."

"He's right," Freed said. "There's no questioning that you're a tough adversary; however, me and Natsu both possess our own skills. We both held back during the competition and, to add to that, it's two against one."

"None of those factors matter," Gajeel scoffed. "If any of you get in my way, I will kill you. And as for you, Dragneel... there isn't enough room in the sky for two dragons." He laughed as Freed held back the aggravated Natsu.

"Leave this to me, Natsu," Freed tried. "We _don't _wanna fight this guy. He's a freaking demon; he'd kill us without any effort."

"He can act like a demon all he wants," Natsu yelled. "He doesn't know a thing about what it means to be a Dragon Slayer. I'm the real thing." Natsu stopped struggling and Freed released him, causing the pink-haired boy to stand aside and glare at Gajeel. The Iron Dragon Slayer raised an eyebrow before closing his eyes, thinking about his time in Phantom Lord and how his uncle died.

"Not the real thing, huh?" Gajeel merely laughed bitterly. "You don't even know what you're saying, kid! Left at the doorstep of Phantom Lord Headquarters by a dragon, having numerous assassinations on you, being treated like trash, and countless other atrocities! This is what I faced; and yes, if I ever got the chance, I would kill the dragon that put me through this. I would slay it!"

"Whoa, that's deep," Freed said. "What a swell guy your Master must've been. Instead of trying to help you, he probably worsened the situation. You probably got a lot of love, didn't you?" It was obvious that Freed was being sarcastic but Gajeel's eyes merely had a mad look in them as the black-haired Dragon Slayer carried on.

"Did you say love?" Gajeel asked, chuckling. "Don't kid with me! There's no such thing called love. It's all a joke; things like love and bonds are merely concepts that weaklings came up with. Feelings are a weakness and, even if they weren't, the only one I'd care about would be my hate! My hate for humanity! For mankind! I want to kill all of you and drink your blood. Then, I will feel as if I have an existence and that I... have a purpose."

"You're crazy," Freed decided, unsheathing his sword. "What you're saying makes no sense. What does being hated have to do with giving people hate? They've done nothing wrong to you."

"That's where you're wrong," Gajeel said. "You should live for yourself, think about yourself, gain for yourself, sacrifice for yourself, and die only for yourself. There's nothing else that matters in this life other than that!" He started to laugh while Freed shivered in repulsion, taking a step back. _I get what he's saying, damn it, _Natsu thought, clenching his fingers. _He's...t-this guy's just like me! But's he not like me at the same time. _The pink-haired Dragon Slayer began to take a few steps back, causing Freed to look at him in surprise.

"Don't tell me you're scared, Natsu!" Freed exclaimed. "Come on, we can take this guy. Let's go already!" However, Natsu's body was trembling as he wondered whether he was strong enough to defeat Gajeel. _He's got such a strong ideal, _Natsu thought. _Such an easy way to prove his existence. C-Can I r-really beat that? _Gajeel continued to laugh evilly as green Magic power erupted around him, pushing against Freed and Natsu. He walked towards them and laughed as he looked at their expressions, feeling alive and into the moment when...

"Alright, that's enough!" Jura shouted, causing Gajeel to halt and all of them to look at him. "What are you guys doing here?! And you could only find my unconscious student's room to brawl in? Get out of here immediately; you can fight all you want tomorrow." The man had dark patches under his eyes and Natsu could clearly see that Elfman's defeat was still very fresh on his mind. _Tomorrow, I have my match with Mirajane, _Natsu remembered, his trembling stopping.

"Very well," Gajeel said, completely stoic. "I will see you two tomorrow, then. But... all the same, I _will _kill you. It'll be fun to feast on your corpses." He muttered a few other words before leaving the hospital room, walking down the hall. Jura raised an eyebrow and shook his head before greeting Freed and Natsu, engaging them in a brief conversation before they left the room, leaving him alone with Elfman.


End file.
